What does the future hold for Chelsea at their Stamford Bridge home?

Chelsea Football Club has remained quiet on the issue of plans for their new ground at Stamford Bridge, largely reflecting the fact this is being powered not by them, but by a project team separately appointed by Roman Abramovich.

Many will have wondered what happened to assertions plans would be go to Hammersmith and Fulham Council in October – but that deadline was actually met.

What has been happening since then is a behind-closed-doors dialogue, of the sort not unusual for such a large developments, where interested parties try to agree on proposals likely to progress beyond open committee stage.

That includes not just the applicant and the council, but also in this instance providers of public transport.

That process is now at a stage where it is imminently expected to come to fruition: with the publication of a detailed blueprint, constituting a formal planning application to the council.

There will follow a statutory period of consultation, where anyone with an interest will be able to submit feedback for consideration by the council's Planning and Development Control Committee.

A 10 person committee, Chaired by Councillor Adam Connell, that is made-up of six Labour and four Conservative members – though the political breakdown should not be significant, as there is no party whip on planning matters.

They meet roughly monthly and will, at some stage in the future, receive an agenda item on the redevelopment, along with a recommendation from the council's planning officers to either accept, refuse, or attach additional conditions to the plans.

Given the dialogue ongoing for some time, it seems unlikely this recommendation will stand in the way of the rebuilding of the stadium. However committee members can decide to vote against recommendations having heard from interested parties on the subject.

Here is where the club hopes the work of the project team will pay dividends – as there has always been a desire to widely consult, in order to obtain a viable plan with widespread support.

Locals seem largely in favour, though there is quite a bit of concern about likely disruption over the course of up to four years of demolition and rebuilding works.

The views of fans and fan groups, almost entirely favourable towards to the project, will be welcome – but are unlikely to go far in swaying opinion either way.

Where they will have far more sway is in the future of Chelsea Pitch Owners, an approach to whom for the freehold of the stadium is expected to be an inevitable part of Mr Abramovich's plans – not least because Chelsea cannot play at their chosen interim home of Wembley without such agreement.

The CPO Board of five is clearly gearing-up for an expected bid from Mr Abramovich, and have appointed director and lawyer Gray Smith to act as solicitor on such matters.

He was initially appointed to the Board to represent the then sizeable Say No CPO faction, which successfully opposed the club's attempt to wrestle back the freehold in 2011.

CPO have also recently launched on both Facebook and Twitter, in anticipation of widespread interest from both shareholders and non-shareholders when that bid materialises, and there is a suggestion of an upturn in share sales – particularly those edging towards the voting maximum of 100 (a not inconsiderable investment of £10,000).

The timing of any bid will be important: with CPO set to hold its AGM at the end of January, by which time it is unlikely that the council will have given its verdict on the plans.

The hurdle will be high, with 75% of any vote required for any buyback to go ahead.

And with the officially recognised Chelsea Supporters Trust among those expected to be pushing for a continuing fan-owned aspect in the ground, Mr Abramovich will need to consider any offer carefully before making it.

All of which confirms that the imminent announcement of the planning application is just one of a number of major hurdles yet to be surmounted in this project.