Chelsea have been given the all-clear to redevelop Stamford Bridge in a project worth £500m after receiving permission from the Mayor of London.

The plan was initially granted approval by Hammersmith and Fulham council in January, despite reservations from locals due to concerns over disruption caused by the construction process.

A third-party dispute over the long-term lease of the actual playing surface - held by Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) - then appeared to halt the project, but Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has stepped in to resolve the issue.

CPO, set up by former owner Ken Bates in the 1980s, has agreed to extend the lease to 999 years and Chelsea can now begin the process of extending the capacity of their West London home from 41,600 to 60,000.

"London is one of the world's greatest sporting cities and I'm delighted that we will soon add Chelsea's new stadium to the already fantastic array of sporting arenas in the capital," Khan said.

"Having taken a balanced view of the application, I'm satisfied this is a high-quality and spectacular design which will significantly increase capacity within the existing site, as well as ensuring fans can have easy access from nearby transport connections.

"I'm confident this new stadium will be a jewel in London's sporting crown and will attract visitors and football fans from around the world."

The architects behind Beijing's 'Bird's Nest' stadium have been commissioned to oversee the construction process at Stamford Bridge, which will likely be ready in time for the 2021-22 season.