Brentford 20,000 seat stadium given green light

[Bedford White]

Brentford FC fans are celebrating today (February 18) after the Mayor of London gave the green light for a new stadium in Lionel Road.

Both fans and neighbours have been waiting on tenterhooks for Boris Johnson to make his decision today which could have meant either misery or joy for the football club which had its initial application approved by Hounslow Council in early December last year.

The stadium has become a battleground over the past month as several neighbours worried about the approved 11 surrounding tower blocks of seven to 17-storeys high have been campaigning the Mayor to reject the application in its current state.

Members of the Brentford Independent Association of Supporters (BIAS) launched a counterattack by delivering a petition with over 9,000 signatures to the Mayor's office yesterday (February 17) in a last ditch attempt to show support for the plans which will see a 20,000 capacity stadium being built in Lionel Road.

It must have worked because in the end it was victory for the fans as Mr Johnson eventually waved through the plans after two and a half months of waiting.

Edward Lister, the Deputy Mayor of London for policy and planning, said: "I am content for the Borough of Hounslow to determine this case themselves as the regenerative, economic and social benefits of the scheme to the local community outweigh any drawbacks.

"Brentford Football Club is an important part of the west London landscape and this scheme will provide them with a much needed new home that will also become a fantastic facility for the local community; alongside significant benefits including the construction of nearly 1,000 new homes and improvements to public transport." By Alix Culbertson GetWestLondon.co.uk

Good news for the Bee's

[Roberty]

Now they will have two year of sorting out the planning conditions before they can start work - good job they don't have two sailing clubs to come to some arrangement with.

[CorkCity]

Both fans and neighbours ! I never knew they had two fans.

[SouthfieldWhite]

Both fans and neighbours ! I never knew they had two fans.

They don't, one is a fan, the other actually supports Hayes and Yeading and only goes to Bentford when Hayes are not playing, so technically it's only one fan

[Julius Geezer]

They'll turn that into a dump soon enough.

[Bedford White]

The stance taken by Mayor's office in regard to Brentford's proposal may give QPR added incentive to push for their 40,000 capacity Stadium (linked with the HS2 project).

I wonder if our own development will be effected by these? Certainly not within a generation or two perhaps, but looking a long way into the future, could we see our fan base eroded? Having said that Chelsea will need to move if they are to expand, which poses an interesting question - would Fulham's future be best served by moving to a vacant Stamford Bridge?
 

[SouthfieldWhite]

The stance taken by Mayor's office in regard to Brentford's proposal may give QPR added incentive to push for their 40,000 capacity Stadium (linked with the HS2 project).

I wonder if our own development will be effected by these? Certainly not within a generation or two perhaps, but looking a long way into the future, could we see our fan base eroded? Having said that Chelsea will need to move if they are to expand, which poses an interesting question - would Fulham's future be best served by moving to a vacant Stamford Bridge?
 

Craven cottage is Fulham and Fulham is Craven Cottage

As for Bentford and QPHa, why don't they just ground share, plenty big enough for both

[Bedford White]

Craven cottage is Fulham and Fulham is Craven Cottage

You'll get no aguement from me on that point!

[HillingdonFFC]

Both fans and neighbours ! I never knew they had two fans.

They don't, one is a fan, the other actually supports Hayes and Yeading and only goes to Bentford when Hayes are not playing, so technically it's only one fan

Actually Brentford have a very loyal fan base, I know one thing, they certainly wouldn't struggle to shift a couple of thousand tickets for a crunch game like we are with West Brom

[FFC1987]

Both fans and neighbours ! I never knew they had two fans.

They don't, one is a fan, the other actually supports Hayes and Yeading and only goes to Bentford when Hayes are not playing, so technically it's only one fan

Actually Brentford have a very loyal fan base, I know one thing, they certainly wouldn't struggle to shift a couple of thousand tickets for a crunch game like we are with West Brom

Haven't we sold out and been given permission to sell more?

[Jims Dentist]

Feeling very very pessimistic about our club right now.
If things were to go from bad to worse, we could be looking for a groundshare there in 5 years

[ron]

Craven cottage is Fulham and Fulham is Craven Cottage

You'll get no aguement from me on that point!

Nor me!    Other clubs have iconic grounds, but none more so than the dear old Cottage.