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RFU: No proposals for Chelsea to use Twickenham as temporary home

The chief executive of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) has stressed that there are no plans to allow Chelsea to play matches at Twickenham while Stamford Bridge is redeveloped.

Last week Chelsea were granted planning permission for a £500 million, 60,000-seater stadium on the site of the current ground, but will require a temporary home for three years while it is built.

Residents near the 82,000-capacity Twickenham stadium, in south-west London, have opposed the idea of it being used by the Blues.

The Twickenham Member of Parliament Dr Tania Mathias wrote to RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie to express her concerns after the new Stamford Bridge got the go-ahead.

"I do not support Chelsea FC being based, temporarily or otherwise, at Twickenham," she wrote.

"My opposition to more non-rugby fixtures at Twickenham is based on concerns regarding increased problems for local residents such as matchday traffic, an increase in litter, public urination and other antisocial behaviour.

"I would appreciate reassurance from yourself that my fears are unfounded, as hosting regular football matches at the RFU stadium is clearly the wrong decision for Twickenham."

In response, Ritchie said that "there is no intention to host regular football matches at Twickenham."

Wembley remains the likeliest choice for Chelsea home matches while the new Stamford Bridge is built but, with Tottenham also set to relocate there while White Hart Lane is redeveloped, MP Bob Blackman said he was worried about "potential abuse" of the stadium.

"The current proposal is that Wembley Stadium will be used by Tottenham for a season, which will increase the use of our national stadium by 60 percent," he said in the House of Commons.

"There's an important issue, of course, for my constituency [Harrow East], which becomes the car park for Wembley Stadium on such event days.

"Chelsea Football Club are intending to come to Wembley for three years thereafter. So could we have a debate, in government time, on the use of our national stadium and the uses to which it can be put?"

Commons Leader David Lidington said there may be an opportunity for an adjournment debate to be held.