Chelsea's Cobham training ground was built in 2004 when Roman Abramovich owned the club
Chelsea's Cobham training ground was built in 2004(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)
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Elmbridge Borough Council have confirmed Chelsea's plans to upgrade their current training centre in Cobham, but a planning application is yet to be submitted.
football.londonbrought you the news on Tuesday evening that the Blues had opened pre-application talks with the local council over their proposed plans to modernise the club's training facilities. Clearlake Capital now have full control of Chelsea following Todd Boehly and Mark Walter's decision to sell their stakes in September and the owners are now pushing ahead with their plans.
While talks are at an exploratory stage, this is the first official step in Chelsea upgrading their training ground, which has been their home since 2004.
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Elmbridge Borough Council have now released a statement confirming Chelsea have started talks. The statement read: "We can confirm that pre-application discussions have taken place regarding Chelsea Football Club's training ground in Cobham.
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"Pre-application discussions are a normal part of the planning process. They allow applicants and planning officers to discuss emerging proposals before any formal planning application is submitted. These discussions help identify planning issues, provide guidance on relevant policies and requirements, and do not indicate that any future application will be approved or supported.
"No planning application has been submitted at this stage. If an application is received, it will be considered through the normal planning process, including public consultation, and assessed against relevant local and national planning policies."
Chelsea's current Cobham base was built under former owner Roman Abramovich and while it was considered state of the art at the time, the Blues' rivals have surpassed them in terms of the level of their facilities.
Ever since the Clearlake-Boehly consortium purchased Chelsea from Abramovich in 2022, an upgrade on their current training centre has been a priority. Chelsea's owners are now moving forward in their attempts to expand their Surrey-based home.
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