London Mayor Boris Johnson urges Tottenham to move on with new ground development

By Andrew Warshaw

February 1 – Tottenham Hotspur, whose battle to move into the Olympic Stadium was abandoned last year following a bitter wrangle, have been urged by London Mayor Boris Johnson (pictured) to press ahead with a new ground in their own back yard after the parties struck a fresh £27 million ($43 million/€33 million) funding agreement.

Subject to approval, the local Haringey Council will invest £9 million ($14 million/€11 million) in the area – crucial to Tottenham’s blueprint for building a 56,000-seater stadium adjacent to their current one in what is one of the most economically deprived areas of the capital.

Johnson’s office pledged a further £18 million ($28 million/€22 million) for mass regeneration.

Tottenham scrapped their plan to challenge West Ham to become the tenants of the Olympic Stadium in Stratford and are now concentrating on the original £400 million ($631 million/€482 million) so-called Northumberland Development Project (NDP).

Johnson called on Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to act with “urgency” now that a deal on public monies had been agreed, bringing to a formal end Tottenham’s highly controversial interest in moving to Stratford.

“I am committed to securing Tottenham’s long-term future and the time has come for Spurs to show its commitment to the area by investing with urgency and determination to deliver the jobs and growth desperately needed in this much-neglected part of our city,” said Johnson.

Levy (pictured) responded by saying the money from the Mayor’s office and Haringey Council “strengthens our ability to deliver a new stadium” in the area.

“We have long said we could only invest in the area if we could see our commitment supported by others and that there was a real need to maximise the regeneration benefits and lift the wider area,” he added.

“We therefore see this as a commitment from the public sector to the Tottenham area and one which strengthens our ability to deliver a new stadium scheme with the potential to kick-start the long-term regeneration of north Tottenham.”

Earlier this month, Tottenham delisted its shares from the stock market and went into private ownership as part of its plans to raise money for a new ground.

The club have already gained planning permission and the local MP, David Lammy, said the decision to stay in the area was a victory for the fans.

“After all the twists and turns, this is a special moment for the community and fans that have fought so hard to keep the club in the place where it was born over 100 years ago,” he said.

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