By Tom Degun in London
September 13 – Shaun Dawson, the chief executive of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, has told the London Assembly that there is still a possibility Leyton Orient could move to Eton Manor following the conclusion of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
The League One club, along with Tottenham Hotspur, have been granted a judicial review into the decision by the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) to award the Olympic Stadium to West Ham United as Orient chairman Barry Hearn believes the Championship outfit’s move to the nearby venue could cost his club up to £1.5 million ($2.4 million/€1.7 million) a year.
The judicial review is due to take place on October 18 with Orient hopeful they can overturn the OPLC’s decision.
But Eton Manor, which is located in the North of the Olympic Park and set to stage wheelchair tennis during the Paralympics, will be operated by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority after London 2012 and Dawson says they have been approached by Orient about the possibility of moving into the area.
“There is obviously a very strong legacy plan for Eton Manor post-London 2012 based largely around the sports of hockey and tennis,” Dawson said.
“There will be an elite hockey centre featuring a 3,000 capacity pitch that will be able to increase to a 15,000 capacity for major events.
“It will host major international competition and be a real hub for hockey in the area.
“There will also be a tennis centre with four indoor and six outdoor courts and that could well become the national disability tennis centre.
“In addition there will be five-a-side football pitches in place so there very clear legacy plans.
“But there are still areas of Eton Manor where we do have space to fill as the plan to have a wind turbine in the area has now been scrapped and Leyton Orient have expressed an interest in moving there and creating a community stadium.
“Orient made a presentation to us showing their plans and what they wanted to do.
“We made it clear to them that £30 million [$47 million/€35 million] of public money has gone into the legacy plans of Eton Manor meaning that any move would require a comprehensive business plan that is commercially viable and that really benefits the local community.
“It was three months ago that the presentation was made and we are now waiting for Orient to come back with a firm plan.
“So there are obviously a lot of fixes in the area and a lot of constraints but there is also space so the door is ajar for Orient to move there if they can come up with a financially viable plan that works for the area.”
The judicial review set to take place next month could prevent London bidding to host the 2017 World Athletics Championships but if the OPLC decision to award West Ham the Olympic Stadium is upheld Eton Manor would be a hugely attractive second prize for Orient.
Baroness Margaret Ford, the chair of the OPLC, had told the London Assembly earlier this year that Orient moving to the Olympic Park was “inconceivable” but Duncan Innes, the executive director of real estate at the OPLC who was also speaking to the London Assembly today, clarified the comments made by Baroness Ford saying that she was referring to the area of Eton Manor that features the hockey stadium.
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