Chelsea have boosted AFC Wimbledon’s hopes of a new stadium at Plough Lane after the two sides agreed on a deal worth over £2m for their Kingsmeadow stadium, according to The Evening Standard.
The Dons were recently promoted to League One as they continue their rise through English football, and are confident the deal will help to fund the new stadium, 200 yards on from the previous site which was demolished in 2008.
Planning permission was granted by Merton Council in 2015 for an 11,000-capacity stadium to be constructed, however, the proposals for the ground were called in by Boris Johnson who was London mayor at the time.
The deal between Chelsea and AFC Wimbledon is, therefore, subject to the League One side receiving planning permission for the new stadium from Boris’ successor Sadi Khan.
Wimbledon chief executive Erik Samuelson spoke of the importance of this deal.
This is a major milestone for us. The proceeds of this deal are an essential part of the financing of the new stadium. The vision of a return to Merton, with all the community benefits it also brings, is now becoming very real.
Should the deal go ahead, Chelsea plan to use the 4,800-capacity Kingsmeadow stadium for their academy, and to host home fixtures for the ladies team.
