Chelsea submit planning application for new '60,000-capacity Stamford Bridge'

"A planning application for a new stadium at Stamford Bridge with an expanded seating capacity has been submitted. This follows a successful consultation process during which we received very helpful feedback," said the Premier League champions in a statement.

"This application will now be examined by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Full details can be found on their website at www.lbhf.gov.uk/stamfordbridgegrounds.

"The main details of the application are:

"The planning process will last beyond the end of the season; if the application is granted planning permission there will still be a lot of work to do before redevelopment can start, including obtaining various other consents. We will inform you of progress through this process.

"Thank you for your continued support."

Billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich has prioritised increasing the club's match-day revenue since taking over in 2003, but expanding Stamford Bridge, which is hemmed in by railway lines and the busy Fulham Road, has proved problematic.

The club submitted plans for a new stadium at the iconic Battersea Power station alongside the River Thames, but they were thrown out in 2012.

Abramovich was also keen on building a new stadium at the historic Earl's Court exhibition centre while moving out of the immediate area has also been considered.

Finding a solution to relatively small home attendances has become all the more pressing with Chelsea's London rivals either already playing in bigger stadiums or soon to be.

Arsenal moved out of their Highbury home and into the 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium in 2006, while Tottenham Hotspur are building a new 60,000-seat arena adjacent to their White Hart Lane ground.

West Ham United are moving to the Olympic Stadium next season.

The London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham confirmed that Chelsea had submitted plans to re-develop Stamford Bridge. They would have to move out of Stamford Bridge for three years while the new ground is rebuilt, but there are suggestions the project could be completed by the start of the 2020/21 season.

The overall cost of the stadium is between £500 and £600m, according to various media reports.