Tottenham to take Newham Council to High Court over London 2012 Olympic Stadium

By Andrew Warshaw

April 13 – Tottenham Hotspur have taken the first step in their efforts to secure a judicial review to overturn the decision to hand the £537 million ($836 million) Olympic Stadium to Premier League rivals West Ham United after next year’s Games.

Significantly, Tottenham’s action is specifically aimed at Newham Council which has pledged a £40 million ($65 million) loan to finance West Ham’s move to Stratford, rather than against the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC).

In February, the OPLC voted 14-0 for West Ham as the preferred bidder for the nearby site, to be converted to a 60,000-seater stadium, rather than favouring Spurs who want to knock it down and build a purpose-built football ground.

In a statement, Tottenham said: “The club has today sought permission from the High Court to bring a claim against the London Borough of Newham (‘Newham’) for judicial review of Newham’s process in providing a loan for the conversion of the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games.

“The club wrote to Newham asking it to explain its reasons and justification for its decision, but Newham has declined to respond to this request for information.

“Due to the time limits which apply to claims for judicial review, the club has had no alternative but to issue these proceedings in order to protect its position.

“The club continues to hold discussions with both local and national Government bodies in order to seek to agree a feasible stadium solution.”

For legacy reasons, most of those connected with the Olympic Movement have supported the decision to favour West Ham in what has been at times a bitter head-to-head contest but Spurs continue to believe they have a powerful case.

Tottenham’s fan base is far greater while West Ham, in a joint bid with Newham Council, intend to retain an athletics track, the core of so much of the acrimony.

The club plans to move from Upton Park in 2014.

Tottenham plans, part of a joint bid with AEG sport and entertainment group, had been to create a stadium without the track and redevelop the antiquated site at Crystal Palace for athletics.

The OPLC’s choice of West Ham as preferred bidder has been rubber-stamped by the Government and London Mayor Boris Johnson, leaving Spurs – who already have planning permission to re-develop their current White Hart Lane ground but have precious little support from the local Council – with few remaining options in their quest to stay in the race to move to the Olympic Stadium instead.

Johnson has promised to help Spurs resolve the impasse over revamping White Hart Lane, where a £450 million ($732 million) redevelopment scheme remains on ice.

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