QPR Consider Old Oak Common Stadium

Part of massive redevelopment including High Speed Rail station and Crossrail

QPR have confirmed that they may be interested in a stadium in the massive Old Oak Common development project.

With Loftus Road’s capacity at just 18,439, the club have made finding a new ground a priority and Old Oak Common, between Willesden Junction and the Grand Union Canal has been identified as a potential site.

A QPR spokesman said,“We are looking at a number of potential options for a new stadium and believe that Old Oak could provide one possible solution. We have met with representatives of the GLA and the supporting local authorities to discuss whether a football stadium could be incorporated into any plan that comes forward for this site.”

The proposals are reportedto require a £200 million contribution from QPR, who have the backing of airline tycoon Tony Fernandes and the Mittal steel family.

Cllr Nicholas Botterill, Hammersmith and Fulham Council Leader, said: "We've had talks with all three of our football clubs about their expansion ambitions and are aware of QPR's interest in moving to a larger stadium. We support all of our football clubs where we can and are currently consulting residents on whether a sports stadium could be acceptable as part of the plans to create thousands of new jobs and homes around the new HS2 hub station in Old Oak Common."

The stadium would be close to Wormwood Scrubs and the planned Old Oak interchange which would link the planned High Speed Rail 2 project with Crossrail.

A new generation of trains, running at speeds of up to 225mph, will stop at the new hub station from 2026. The consultation document claims that up to 90,000 jobs and 19,000 new homes - in addition to new schools, open spaces, shops and leisure facilities - could transform the area.

You can read the full document and provide comments using the GLA website, at www.london.gov.uk/oldoak.

Details on the possible sports stadium are on page 30, (figure 4.3) in this consultation link (pdf).

The deadline to provide comments is Friday 6 September 2013.

August 22, 2013