TRANSPORT for London has given permission to knock down the Earls Court exhibition centres as part of the planned redevelopment of the area.

It has set up a joint venture with developers CapCo, which will take a majority 63 per cent stake and own a 999-year lease on the site, which is to be turned into housing.

The deal will finally end rumours of Chelsea Football Clubs alleged interest in the site and brings to a close four years of negotiations between the two parties.

CapCo plans to build more than 8,000 new homes and amenities in the controversial scheme, having bought land from both Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea councils.

However, residents of the two estates on the plot, West Kensington and Gibbs Green, continue to fight the plans, and last week went to a judicial review against Hammersmith and Fulham Councils decision to sell their homes and move them into replacement accommodation.

The result of the hearing is expected in the coming weeks.

They have also submitted a letter to secretary of state Eric Pickles urging him to throw out the scheme, which was given the green light by Boris Johnson earlier this month.

Hammersmiths Labour MP Andy Slaughter called the plans a despicable piece of social engineering.

CapCo said the deal was a major step forward and added development could now be progressed.