Fulham Stadium Plans

Fulham's proposed new Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage was given the green light by Hammersmith and Fulham Council's Planning Committee last night - but it was not without its objections.

The council received 355 representations to its consultations regarding the scheme, with 179 in support of the development, while 157 of those raised objections to the new stand.

Fulham are planning on demolishing the existing Riverside Stand and replacing it with a two-tier stand, increasing the capacity of Craven Cottage to 29,589 - an increase of 3,889.

As well as that, the new stand will have nine apartments incorporated into the stand and will have a riverside walkway linking the existing path from Bishop's Park and the path behind the Hammersmith Stand.

However, despite the council granting planning permission to the project, there were some objections to it – we've picked out some of the best (Ed’s note – for best, read daftest!) reasons why people thought the Riverside Stand shouldn't have been given the go-ahead.

Food and beverage will be noisy and light spill will affect the wildlife (eg bats)

Removal of trees

FFC should relocate to another area

Riverwalk will encroach into the River and destroy this area

Riverwalk should not be on public land

Sets unwanted precedent

Use of Bishops Park for construction compound is inappropriate

Two-three years loss of Bishops Park is unacceptable to allow construction

Impacts of queuing within Bishops Park which is a public facility

Bishops Park will not be able to be used by the public to its full extent

Stand is out of keeping with Grade II listed stand and low-rise houses in the conservation area

Unsympathetic structure which will ruin the riverside skyline

Drawings do not make it easy to envisage impact

Increase in noise and air pollution from more coaches

Match day disturbance from spectators (noise and nuisance)

C1 and commercial uses are not football related

The extent of commercial uses and events was concealed by FFC during the public consultation

Looms over residential properties and reduces sense of openness

Impacts on privacy from the residential unit/serviced apartments balconies/roof garden on adjoining properties

The proposed stadium is out of scale and the design is not appropriate

Construction will have a detrimental impact on the park and river

Public transport will be overwhelmed

Impacts of smell/odours from the proposed restaurants

Impact to sailing on river

Closure of sailing clubs

Increased light pollution from stadium floodlights

Negative visual impacts on the river and amenity of the riverside

Proposed architecture does not respond to the existing architecture of the local area

Residential apartments are not an acceptable use on the site and are not affordable

Not sufficient time to comment on the application

Number of events is excessive

Church needs to approve use of Bishops Park

Increase in crime

These objectors totally miss the irony that when they bought their properties, the Ground had been hosting matches since before any of them were born, let alone living in the area, as there were absolutely no domestic properties near Craven Cottage when the ground was built. See the page “CRAVEN COTTAGE, The old cottage”.

Most points are somewhat misinformed, totally inaccurate or plain fiction.

Click here to go to the FST page for a brief round-up

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Well, we all know now that this 2015 plan, below, is pie in the sky. And now the ugly word ‘Apartments’ is back on the agenda, to those of us who’ve been around a while, this jars somewhat when used in connection with the ‘Revised’ proposal, that was approved in March 2018.

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Fulham Stadium Plans Here’s the latest news from the Supporters’ Trust

regarding the Riverside redevelopment

Fulham football club new riverside stand

Information on a marine licence application (MLA/2012/00102) for construction of a new riverside stand at Fulham football club.

From:

Marine Management Organisation

First published:

22 December 2015

Part of:

Marine Licensing selected cases and Marine environment

On 28 February 2012 Fulham Stadium Limited, submitted an application to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for a marine licence to undertake the construction of a new riverside stand, at Fulham football club which lies adjacent to the River Thames. The application includes new sheet pile river wall, walkway support piles, stand piles and temporary construction platform.

The MMO has now determined the application and all information relating to the determination can be found in the attached decision report.

All marine licence applications are available from the marine licensing public register.

A PDF is downloadable from this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/488077/Decision_Report_Fulham_Football_Club_New_Riverside_Stand.pdf

The Fulham Supporters' Trust: P.O. Box 63958, London, SW15 9AH

Website: www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com | Email: info@fulhamsupporterstrust.com

Fulham Stadium Plans

Buckingham set to score with £15m Fulham refurb

Buckingham Group Contracting is believed to have beaten its rivals to land the £15m contract to revamp and extend Fulham FC’s Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage.

The scheme will boost Fulham’s capacity by more than 4,000 to 30,000 with extra seats in the stand which backs onto the River Thames.

Sources close to the club told the Enquirer: “The contract race had come down to a final shoot-out between Buckingham and Laing O’Rourke and it looks like Buckingham has won out.”

Fulham were granted planning permission for the scheme last summer and WSP are on board as structural consultant.

A start date is yet to be set for construction but Fulham will continue to play at Craven Cottage while work is carried out.

Talk to the Enquirer. To share your stories email Grant Prior or Aaron Morby... always off the record

Fulham Stadium Plans

30,000 on the Horizon

the following announcements have been issued by the club

Fulham Football Club granted planning permission

Fulham Football Club is delighted to announce that, following a planning hearing at London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on Thursday 26 July 2012, the Club’s plans to redevelop the Riverside Stand at its Craven Cottage Stadium have been approved.

The plans include extensive refurbishment to the Riverside Stand of the Club’s historic Craven Cottage home to increase the ground’s capacity to 30,000, and enhance the matchday facilities for fans. A major benefit to the community will be the opening of the riverside walk from Putney to Hammersmith for the first time in recent history.

Alistair Mackintosh, CEO of Fulham Football Club said:

‘This is extremely exciting news and we are all delighted with this outcome. Craven Cottage is synonymous with Fulham F.C and it is vital that the Club is given every opportunity to develop the facilities available to ensure that it can continue to prosper and compete, and remain at its home for the long term. I am confident that an increased capacity and major improvements to the facilities can help us deliver the Chairman’s vision of long term growth and self sustainability for this football club.’

Cllr Nicholas Botterill, H&F Council Leader, said:

“Craven Cottage is the historic home of Fulham Football Club and this modest expansion, which will be carried out in a sensitive and sensible way, will allow the club to remain competitive in the top tier of English football while removing the existing, rather ugly, Riverside Stand. Our residents will also enjoy a series of community benefits such as an opened up river walk and improvements at Bishops Park.

“We are the only borough in Britain to be the home to three top-flight football clubs and we are keen to work with all of them to get the best deal for our residents.”

Fulham Forever

Fulham Football Club is revisiting its plans to increase the capacity of Craven Cottage to 30,000 and is looking carefully at how the Riverside Stand can be developed to achieve this aspiration.

To help us work up more detailed plans the Club held a public exhibition where staff from the Club will be available to answer questions about the plans.

These took place at The Cafe at the Cottage, in the Johnny Haynes Stand, Stevenage Road on:

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Thursday 20 October 2011

Saturday 22 October 2011

Headline Benefits

Improved matchday facilities for fans

A new riverside walk along the Thames that is open and accessible to the public

New community facilities along the Thames

“We are confident that a redevelopment will improve the fans matchday experience by enhancing the facilities, whilst remaining sympathetic to the design of this historic ground. Naturally our core family values, and the tradition of the football club, continue to be at the forefront of everything we do.

“ We are still in the very early stages of the planning process and we would very much welcome your thoughts on our initial ideas.”

Alistair Mackintosh,Chief Executive Fulham Football Club

Reconnected Riverside Walk

At present the riverside walk between Putney and Hammersmith stops and is diverted around Craven Cottage via Stevenage Park. Our proposal will create a new pedestrian path along the river Thames that will be open and accessible to the general public and extends the riverside walk.

The new riverside walk will be cantilevered over the river to maintain existing flood capacity.

Stadium Access and Egress

At the last consultation, a lot of people asked us to introduce direct access into and out of the ground from the riverside walk and Bishops Park. This will help reduce the crowd congestion on match days, and fits with our aim of providing a continuous river walk.

Riverside Navigation

Fender piles will be constructed to protect riverside walkway from river craft.

Improved stadium facilities

The expanded stand provides a wonderful opportunity for us to improve the experience for our fans. We can remove the pillars that currently restrict views, provide screens to show match-action replays, make the seating and viewing more comfortable and improve facilities for everyone.

The new stand will also provide a larger club shop, new restaurants and a wide range of bars and food outlets, plus substantially increase the number of public convenience facilities.

Key Design Objectives

Seating capacity expanded to 30,000 without seats loss during construction.

The design of the new stand should mirror the bend in the river.

New stand should reduce the impact of the floodlighting on the river and adjacent streets.

The new stand should be sympathetic in scale to the trees to the south.

The overall scale of the new stand should reflect the scale of the adjoining stands to the north and south.

The new stand should take advantage of its riverside location and the longer views over the river to the west.

The new stand should provide a new public riverside walkway with public toilets, cafes and restaurant.

External materials and colour to reflect riverside setting and its orientation.

New stand to provide facilities for community and other uses on non-matchday.

Remember these from Fayed’s promised new stadium (before he reneged and sold the ground to developers in 2002)?

And do you also remember this? BBC Sport website: Thursday, 17 January, 2002, 11:34 GMT

Fulham stadium boost

Fulham have ambitious plans for Craven Cottage

Fulham have been given the go-ahead for the £70m redevelopment of their Craven Cottage ground.

The west London club, backed by millionaire Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, was given the green light in the High Court to improve their stadium on the banks of the River Thames.

“A new stadium is vital for our future” Jean Tigana

Fulham said they were "extremely pleased" by Mr Justice Collins' decision to dismiss the appeal by 11 local residents, asking for the Secretary of State to personally determine the club's planning application.

Fulham will now finalise plans to ground-share at QPR's Loftus Road next season while the capacity at their own stadium is raised from 20,787 to 30,000.

When both Hammersmith & Fulham Borough Council and the Goverment gave the go-ahead for the project, Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed described it as "a momentous day".

But a small group of local residents did not share Al Fayed's enthusiasm.

The residents had been pushing for a public inquiry, which could have delayed the start of building by a year.

The so-called 'Fulham Alliance' said the issues surrounding the proposed improvements to the 105-year-old stadium were "too important" to be ruled on by the local council.

Lawyers for the residents said the new ground will have a "damaging and massively intrusive effect".

And they accused Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, former Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions, of acting "unreasonably and unlawfully".

But the 17-page judgement said the decision-makers had regard "to the relevant issues" and were "compliant and fair."

A three-day judicial review examined the issues in November but Fulham have had to wait until now for the final decision.

Fulham still have to move out of Craven Cottage at the end of this season.

Following promotion to the First Division in 1999, Fulham were given three years to demolish their terraces and develop an all-seater stadium.

But the redevelopment of Craven Cottage is vital to Fulham's future.

That point is not lost on manager Jean Tigana, who has identified the link between what happens off the field and his chances of taking Fulham forward on it.

Tigana told the club's website: "Great facilities are part of my vision for Fulham, and a new stadium is vital for our future.

"I want my Fulham club to attract the best players and to play in Europe.

"A new stadium is important for both of these."