Olympic Stadium Case Resumes At High Court

The battle over the future of the Olympic stadium is continuing at the High Court.

Tottenham Hotspur is seeking a second judicial review over the decision by the Olympic Park Legacy Company's (OPLC) to give the £486 million stadium to West Ham.

There had been speculation that Spurs were preparing to drop the appeal, after BBC London reported that the Premier League side were involved in "intense negotiations" with London Mayor Boris Johnson's office last night over plans to build a new stadium in north London.

Spurs had been seeking support for both the Government and the Mayor's office to build a bigger ground at Northumberland Park, near their current home at White Park Lane, for several months. Plans were originally approved in 2010, but rising costs meant that they turned their attention to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford in east London - a proposal which has angered some Spurs fans who wanted the club to remain in Tottenham.

However, in February, OPLC selected West Ham as their first choice to move into the Olympic Stadium after the Games next year.

At the High Court today, Dinah Rose, QC, acting for Tottenham, said that OPLC's decision was unfair, claiming that Spurs had been "excluded" when the Government and Mayor had supported the decision.

Miss Rose also said that a proposed £40 million loan from Newham Council to West Ham had given the club an unfair economic advantage and argued that a bank would not have lent the sum to the club, given its "precarious financial state".

If Spurs were to drop their appeal, then West Ham, who were demoted to the Championship at the end of last season, would be able to move into the Olympic Stadium by 2014.

(KMcA/GK)