Spurs’ 10-day wait for stadium verdict
TOTTENHAM expect to find out within 10 days whether they have the all-clear to begin work on building a new £450m stadium next to White Hart Lane.
The club received a boost yesterday when Mayor of London Boris Johnson backed Haringey Council’s decision to grant planning permission for the 55,000-seater venue.
Now Spurs have three more hurdles to overcome before they can begin the project, sources close to the club told City PM last night, with approval from the Secretary of State likely to be the most significant.
That verdict is due next week, while approval must follow from English Heritage and a Section 106 agreement has to be struck with the council over contributions to roads and transport improvements. Neither are expected to be significant sticking points.
Tottenham chiefs have also registered an interest in moving to the site of the Olympic Stadium in east London after the 2012 Games. The club remains serious about that option but at the moment it is purely hypothetical.
If final permission for the new-build in Haringey is granted in the coming days, as expected, they will be forced to decide between the two stadium projects. If Spurs pull out of the Olympic race, West Ham will be even stronger favourites to move into the venue.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said last week that concerns over the cost of building a new ground on the site of their current home – a venture known as the Northumberland Development Project – had forced them to explore other options. That came after local MP David Lammy derided the club for looking to move east.