Whole country behind West Ham Olympic Stadium bid

By Mike Rowbottom

February 4 – Support for West Ham United and Newham Council’s joint proposal for the Olympic Stadium and its legacy has spread across the nation.

Polls by YouGov and the BBC underline this is now a national debate, with politicians also pledging their backing.

Such endorsements extend far beyond the strong support already being displayed by fans, the East London community and the world of athletics.

West Ham’s vice-chair Karren Brady has welcomed what she describes as “a fantastic endorsement” of the club’s plans to take over the Olympic Park stadium for joint football and athletics use following YouGov and BBC surveys of the public.

According to the YouGov survey, 70 per cent of Britons and 71 per cent Londoners are behind the West Ham-Newham bid to keep the stadium and convert it for multi-sport use, including football and athletics.

Only five per cent of the nation and six per cent Londoners want to demolish the Stadium and rebuild as a football-only ground with an athletics provision elsewhere.

And, according to a BBC poll, almost nine times as many people under the age of 24 want the West Ham-Newham bid to be successful rather than its rival bid.

“The nation is saying what we have said all along – that we must keep the promises made in the Queen’s name,” Brady said.

“This is a fantastic endorsement for the true legacy which also ensures the community benefits financially without bank debt and financial pressures.”

Newham Council’s Chief Executive Kim Bromley-Derry said: “We are delighted that the strength of our bid to deliver a legacy for local residents, London and the nation is being recognised.

“We want the Olympic Stadium and the Olympic Park to be a favourite destination and an economic driver for the whole of the capital and beyond.”

After more than 50 cross-party MPs backed the bid last week, a report published today revealed that 12 council leaders said it would be “astonishing” to consider demolishing the £537 million venue.

Instead they wanted to back the West Ham-Newham proposal as it offered a “major boost” to much-needed regeneration in London.

They wrote: “This is a vital decision – one which must deliver lasting benefits for all Londoners, not just serve the interests of one football club.

“Any decision which paved the way for a project which would see the stadium knocked down and then rebuilt would, in our view, be a gross misuse of public resources.”

The backing has come from the leaders of Labour-controlled Barking and Dagenham, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Haringey, Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham and Southwark.

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