Brentford Football Club and residential developer Willmott Dixon have signed a Development Agreement to deliver a new 20,000 capacity stadium at Lionel Road South, in Brentford, together with other community facilities, new homes and shops.
As part of the agreement, Willmott Dixon will also take forward plans for Brentford’s existing stadium at Griffin Park.
Under this agreement, the Club will contribute its land at Lionel Road South site where Willmott Dixon, as development partner, will build the stadium, associated infrastructure and 910 new homes, including 338 that will be available specifically for private rent under Willmott Dixon’s Private Rental Sector (PRS) company be:here.
When the new stadium is open The Bees will relocate from Griffin Park, where Willmott Dixon will develop 70 three and four bedroom family homes for private sale.
The Griffin Park development will include a memorial garden to commemorate the history of the football ground where the Club has played since 1904.
Now the agreement is signed, the next immediate step is for London Borough of Hounslow to issue the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to enable the Club to complete the land assembly.
Meanwhile the Club and Willmott Dixon will progress all the essential permissions and preparatory work to ensure a start on site later next year.
Commenting on the deal, Cliff Crown, the Chairman of Brentford FC, said: “Signing the Development Agreement with Willmott Dixon is the next significant step towards our goal of playing in a new community stadium.
“I’d like to thank all parties involved in finalising the agreement, including the team at Willmott Dixon, our lawyers Taylor Wessing, and all the advisors in our project team.
“We are excited about working with the Willmott Dixon team who have a proven track-record of taking forward similar high-quality developments utilising their skill for delivering substantial residential accommodation within a wider regeneration project.
“This agreement confirms the deliverability of our scheme and we now have in place a sound commercial model and a sensitive design approach which will create an exciting stadium for our supporters, opportunities for new jobs and local businesses and an attractive environment for visitors and local residents.
“It’s a great Christmas present for all Bees fans, 125 years after the Bees were founded; we have an exciting future ahead of us.”
Andrew Telfer, Chief Executive at Willmott Dixon’s development company Regen said: “We are delighted to be working with Brentford Football Club to turn their exciting vision for a fantastic new stadium into reality.
“This deal highlights our ability to combine our homes for sale and private rent business models to cross-fund significant projects like stadia as well as deliver large volumes of residential accommodation for both tenures.
“In particular, our PRS homes will also help create a vibrant community of renters with good access to central London and to local employers, large and small, including global companies such as GSK and SKY on Brentford’s ‘Golden Mile’.
“The scale and approach of this development is similar to other large regeneration schemes we are undertaking in the South East where our Prime Place and be:here companies combine to create popular mixed-tenure communities.
“Importantly as long term partners, we have a good cultural fit with Brentford FC as we share a strong commitment to support the growth and prosperity of local communities.
“We look forward to working with the Bees to create a bright new future for the Club and this part of Hounslow.”
Leader of Hounslow Council, Councillor Steve Curran said: “This agreement seals a great step forward for the Bees, Brentford and the whole borough.
“It’s another sign that Hounslow and Brentford is fast becoming known as west London’s boomtown.
“Let’s keep our fingers crossed that The Bees continue their great start to the season and grab promotion to the Premier League in the New Year.”