By Andrew Warshaw
September 21 – The future of the 2012 Olympic stadium has taken a potentially significant shift following Tottenham Hotspur’s latest breakthrough to develop their own ground.
The North London club were recently granted permission to seek a Judicial eview into the awarding of ownership of the Olympic Stadium to West Ham United after London 2012, a long-running saga heavily criticised by organisers of the Game.
Last month, a High Court judge ruled controversially there are sufficient grounds for a review into the process by which West Ham United were unanimously chosen as the preferred bidder to take over stewardship of the arena by the Olympic Park Legacy Committee (OPLC).
Tottenham have always pursued the alternative option of remaining where they are under what has become known as the Northumberland Development Project, a scenario that would be welcomed by a majority of fans who oppose moving to Stratford.
The club have now achieved an important step forward by signing a planning agreement with the local Haringey Council.
The club already have a blueprint for a state-of-the-art redevelopment of their White Hart Lane home on a site adjacent to the ground whilst at the same time fighting the decision to give West Ham tenancy of the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.
Now, the so-called Section 106 agreement, for months one of the major sticking points towards staying in the area, means the Council have agreed to contribute towards local facilities in and around the new stadium.
Tottenham were given planning permission in October last year but insisted on local and central Government paying towards transport and other facilities around the area rather than footing the bill themselves.
The club were recently on the verge of a deal with London Mayor Boris Johnson to drop their case for judicial review in return for financial help.
Those talks broke down but Tottenham are now expected to sit down again with the Council, Johnson and central Government figures to see if they can come to an agreement, hopefully before the judicial hearing which is due to be heard in the High Court on October 18.
That takes place less than a month before the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) meet to decide the venue of the 2017 World Championships, with London going head to head with Doha.
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