Court puts break on Real Madrid ground development scheme

The plans of Real Madrid President Florentino Perez to remodel the club's Santiago Bernabeu Stadium have been frustrated by a decision by the High Court in Madrid to overturn an agreement reached by the club and the local authority in November 2012.

Real Madrid had wanted to greatly expand the Santiago Bernabeu, extending the building onto what is now a car park, next to the Paseo de la Castellana, which is the main road through the heart of the Spanish capital.

The plans would have seen the construction of restaurants, a hotel and also a roof to cover the entire stadium, which would gain 12,250 meters of terrain allowed to be built on. However, several people living in the vicinity of the Bernabeu and the environmental group, Ecologists in Action, opposed the plans and in early 2013 asked the court to temporarily suspend the development.

The court accepted Ecologists in Action case, which came at the same time the European Union also announced it was investigating the club for receiving illegal State aid and Real Madrid and the Madrid local authority launched an appeal.

It is that appeal which has now been rejected, prompting the club to issue a statement saying that following the ruling: "Real Madrid will work with the City Council and the Community of Madrid to address those aspects that require attention in order to make the Santiago Bernabeu reform project viable.

Re-modelling the Bernabeu has been of Perez's long standing ambitions and he has promised the redevelopment in his last two campaigns to stand for the presidency of the club: a promise he has so far totally failed to deliver. Endit