A NEW QPR stadium with an adjacent community sport and athletics facility next door could deliver a £20m+ boost for the local economy, according to a report by consultants Hatch Regeneris into the impact of a QPR development at the Linford Christie Stadium site.

An estimated 720 full-time jobs would be created by a larger stadium with an increased number of fans spending money in the local area on matchdays, as well as the increase in QPR’s supply chain spending.

The report examined the likely increase in the club’s role as a local employer, a purchaser of goods and services, a community asset and generator of wider benefits, as well as the temporary boost from construction.

QPR’s current economic value to the local area is estimated at £39m a year, which would be lost if the club were to move away.

The study was commissioned by QPR after suggestions from fans and local residents to quantify the club’s economic and social benefit to W12.

QPR’s vision is for a new stadium that is not just a home for the club but a genuine hub for the community. The club hopes to bring jobs and regeneration to W12, to reinvigorate community sports facilities, and to encourage more people to enjoy the cherished green open space of Wormwood Scrubs.

The Linford Christie Stadium could be the club’s last chance to build a sustainable long-term future in the area that has been its home for a hundred years. It is also an opportunity to promote physical activity and improve the health and wellbeing of West Londoners by creating an innovative community sports hub with a professional football club at its heart.

The proposed community stadium would stick to the existing Linford Christie Stadium site and not encroach on the green open space of Wormwood Scrubs.

A spokesman for Hammersmith & Fulham council said in August: “Linford Christie Stadium is a vital community asset in an open green space. We want to protect and enhance its use for athletics and recreation for the long-term benefit of residents.

"Due to severe budget pressures, our subsidy for the stadium in its current form is unsustainable. We have asked a masterplan architect to draw up options for the stadium site, which will be presented this year to the Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust for their final decision.

"We continue to talk a number of stakeholders, including QPR, as part of this process."

An Executive Summary of the report is available HERE and the full report can be downloaded HERE.