New Stadium

Hatch99

Club Statement on Olympic Stadium Bid
The OPLC has today announced that the Club is not the preferred bidder for the Olympic Stadium site.

The Olympic Stadium site is an essential element in the creation of a viable Olympic Park and we know that, together with AEG, we provided a first class proposal to support the sustainability of the whole project.

It was never an option, however, that we would retain the running track as we believe this to be unacceptable for our supporters and therefore wholly unviable in the long term. It carries with it the major risk of being incapable of delivering a lasting legacy without further calls on the public purse or a requirement for changes to the stadium and track at a later date.

Much has been made of the promise to keep the Athletics track within the Olympic Stadium and, therefore, we should all expect to see the retention of this track firmly embedded and legally guaranteed by those entrusted with this legacy commitment, today and in the future.

We submitted an honest bid with the only solution we considered capable of delivering lasting regeneration, a significant return to the public purse and wide-ranging benefits to the local communities and to London.

The OPLC’s decision has still to be approved by two Government departments and the Mayor’s Office. We shall continue to monitor the bid process over the coming weeks up until its final determination, whilst reviewing our position and holding discussions with our advisors.

We shall spend time assessing our situation in respect of a new stadium and when we have any further information we shall update our supporters.

yiddo59

Haringey leader opens door for Spurs

Martin Cloake
Feb 11th 2011
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Filed under: Sport

Following today's decision by the Olympic Park Development Company to reject Tottenham Hotspur's bid to move to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, I spoke to Cllr Claire Kober, the leader of Haringey Council where Spurs are currently based, about what happens next. This is the full interview. Daily Finance: Spurs have stated the Northumberland Development Project to upgrade the current ground is "currently unviable". Your statement this afternoon said "building work could start almost immediately". What is your understanding of the gap between those two statements?


Cllr Claire Kober: "I don't really understand where the contention that the NDP is unviable comes from, because it is only 15 weeks ago that this planning application was brought before the council. A large football club does not bring a planning application that costs millions of pounds forward for a scheme which is unviable.

"That planning application was heard by the committee, and [Spurs chairman] Daniel Levy sat there for four hours. Nothing has changed in the 15 weeks that has elapsed to change the viability of the scheme. So my contention is that it was viable then, hence the club came forward with an application, and it remains viable now.

"So I think the priority needs to be that Spurs need to commit to the borough and we need to work together to lever in initial investment but we will only do that if potential investors have confidence that this is a scheme that will be going forward. I think that's the challenge now.

DF: Can you specify how much money Haringey has asked for THFC to spend on projects relating to improving the local area?


CK: "We were never asked for this to be a joint development. The Newham/West Ham bid was conceived as a joint bid, which was a completely different scenario to a football club that was bringing forward a planning application comprising a stadium 20,000 seats bigger than they already have, a supermarket, a hotel, residential properties... It's a completely different thing.

"The section 106 agreement in total is around £15-16m. In cash terms it's about £10m which represents about 3% of the value of the whole development. About £7-8m is for direct enabling work that relates to the fact that you're going to have a bigger stadium, more people, plus a hypermarket, plus a hotel. So £7.8m is transport infrastructure work.

"If you break down the further sum, some is directly connected with the residential units. If you build residential units you have to make a contribution, it's done on a set formula, plus things like school places. When you look at that sum, it is dwarfed by the size of the scheme. I'd also say that it is dwarfed by the kind of investment that Spurs would have put into bringing forward a bid on the Olympic Stadium.

DF: Haringey and local MP David Lammy have gone on record as saying Spurs have not applied for any public money. Is this still your understanding? And do you intend to take any action to help THFC secure any public funding for the project that may be available?


CK: "We've always recognised that this was a scheme conceived at a difficult time, just as public finances were entering a pretty torrid time. That said, we've always recognised that if possible we would try to lever in additional investment, public as well as private. But what's critical is that the council and the club are in the same place, working together for that common end. I still think it is possible that we can lever in that money, but we will only do so if both parties are absolutely committed to White Hart Lane.

DF: How do you see the relationship between club and council now?


CK: "Since I've been leader of the council we've had a good relationship with the club. Although the last few months have been difficult, we haven't let that relationship fall away. Daniel Levy was in my office two weeks ago and we agreed then that whatever the outcome of today's decision we would prioritise sitting down around the table again as soon as we knew the outcome.

"Ultimately the club and the council have to come together on this. Daniel committed to that and after the weekend I'll be ensuring we get a meeting arranged as soon as possible and we do what we agreed to do. It's absolutely a priority to get that meeting.

"Now the bidding process of the Olympic Stadium is over it is the time to take a step back and look at things a bit more dispassionately. Sometime things are said by different parties in the heat of the moment. Now's the time for all parties to collect themselves together, for Spurs to commit to the borough and for us all to work out how we go forward.

DF: Are you saying let's meet as early as possible?


CK: "Yes. And I should say that whenever I call Daniel and say let's meet, we've always met that week. We've always had that sort of responsive relationship."

DF: Given the current background of austerity, how do you pitch a deal with Tottenham Hotspur to local council tax payers?


CK: "I see our role as working with the club to lever in investment from elsewhere. There's clearly a return for the club in taking this forward, but also for local people in terms of the development of WHL being a catalyst for that part of Tottenham. There are benefits for everyone."

Hatch99

Sounds a little positive, who knows....

RichMc70

Jermaine Jenas: Running tracks make for dull atmospheres

I don't remember having one conversation with a team-mate about Tottenham's stadium plans in the last few weeks or so. It's a bit weird we don't talk about it given it's such a big decision but I have been following the story and I do realise what a sensitive issue it is.

There are a lot of fans who'd prefer to stay in Tottenham and you can see where they're coming from. There's a lot of history at White Hart Lane and many reasons why the supporters want to stay but then it is the chairman's job to try to move the club forward.

We have close to 30,000 on the waiting list for season tickets and that's a vast amount of income that could be ploughed back into the club. So as a business, it's a no-brainer but you cannot ignore the emotional aspect of any decision to leave the Lane and I can understand why some fans are voicing their opinions against it.

West Ham want to keep a track when they move to the Olympic Stadium.
I've played at a number of grounds with a track during my club and international career and the atmosphere is a lot duller than it is if the fans are closer to the pitch.

They feel distant; the view isn't as good and the fans and players don't have the same connection because everything is so much further away.
It's hard to get anything going with the crowd because only those on the side of the pitch have got a decent view. The atmosphere is definitely worse and it's almost like you're playing in the park.

When you're on your own ground, you want your opponents to feel the intensity and to be intimidated by your own fans - that's something we've definitely got at White Hart Lane.

When the supporters are so far from the pitch, it might destroy that advantage you get as the home team.

We won't have that in our next four fixtures because they are all away starting with Sunderland tomorrow before the big one in Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

The victory over Bolton last weekend, when Niko Kranjcar came on late in the game and scored a goal, showed the strength of our squad as we were without Gareth Bale and Luka Modric and then Rafael van der Vaart came off at half-time.

Earlier this week, I was at the Radiomarathon Centre in Enfield to meet a number of disabled young adults who, thanks to the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, should now have a better chance to make progress in both further education and employment.

The class had come to an end and I spent a few hours playing a mini game of golf with them, then answered questions, including a few about the stadium. It was a really rewarding day.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23922602-jermaine-jenas-running-tracks-make-for-dull-atmospheres.do

Wise words from JJ albeit sitting on the fence to some degree but still acknowledging fans concerns.

everdead.ie

Looks like West Ham have almost completed the whole thing now the paper work is just being rubber stamped.

Looking at attendances we are tenth in the league for attendances at the moment despite having almost 99% uptake on tickets for every game!

http://itv.stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/PR/attend.html

There are the stats for anyone who's looking for them we really could do with a larger stadium.

Just one question does anyone know why Arsenal used old wembly for Champions League games before the Emirates Stadium was finished?
It's amazing that Arsenals Revenue is 25% gate reciepts. Or about £60m three times as much as us

Hatch99

Not a new stadium I know, but the new training centre is coming on..

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/futureplans/trainingcentre/news/training-centre-beginning-to-take-shape-010311.html

Kiith

We're taking the Olympic chiefs to court now...so much for this being over.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12909326

BBC wrote:

Tottenham Hotspur are taking Olympic chiefs to court over the decision to hand the 2012 stadium to West Ham after the Games, the BBC has learned.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), which chose West Ham ahead of Spurs last month, confirmed Tottenham are pressing ahead with a judicial review.

Tottenham informed the OPLC of its decision this week, as construction on the Olympic Stadium was completed.

A spokesman for London's mayor defended the stadium bidding process.

Tottenham have sought the review to challenge the process the OPLC followed in making its decision to choose West Ham as its preferred bidder for the stadium.

An OPLC spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that a letter before action in relation to potential judicial review proceedings has been issued.

"The Olympic Park Legacy Company ran a very rigorous and transparent process in its selection of the recommended preferred bidder.

"We have been supported by independent experts in their field in terms of legal, financial, commercial and technical advice."
Continue reading the main story
London view

The spokeswoman added: "We have been consistent, fair, objective and entirely equal in our dealings with the bidders from start to finish.

"We are confident that if these judicial review proceedings are pursued, our approach will be entirely vindicated by the courts."

The UK government and the office of the mayor of London are joint owners of the OPLC and will both be involved in the court action.

They have four weeks to respond to the letter in writing, then Tottenham must decide whether to go ahead with the action by serving papers to the High Court.

The office of London Mayor Boris Johnson confirmed he had received a letter confirming Tottenham's action.

A City Hall spokesman said: "We are advised and believe that the decision to choose West Ham as the preferred bidder was properly taken."

Judicial reviews allow bodies to challenge decisions on grounds of illegality, irrationality and unfairness.

Or have they...

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/club-statement-300311.html

Club Statement wrote:

At this stage the Club has not issued any proceedings against the Olympic Park Legacy Company (the OPLC) or any other party in respect of the decision regarding the award of the Olympic Stadium. The Club’s lawyers have written letters to the OPLC, the Mayor of London, the Minister of Sport and the Secretary of State for Local Government and a separate letter to the London Borough of Newham raising a number of concerns with the processes which led to the award. The letters also requested - in the interests of transparency - for the provision of certain information concerning the processes, which the Club considers that it is entitled to. Tottenham Hotspur will determine its next step as and when it receives a response to these letters.

RichMc70

Boris Johnson will help Spurs find a new home

The Mayor of London has hosted high-level talks to establish a quango which would create an "arc of opportunity" stretching from Tottenham to the Royal Docks via the Olympic Park that he hopes may encourage Spurs to revisit plans to remain in the borough.

Last week Spurs brought a legal challenge after losing out to West Ham in their bid to take over the Olympic Stadium. Johnson said he was not concerned by the threat of a judicial review, but it is felt by some senior Government figures that Spurs should get help in return for turning the Olympic Stadium into an auction and forcing West Ham to improve their offer.

The Mayor said: "There's a big job of work with Spurs and Haringey which we are taking forward now. There are exciting prospects for that part of London. It's not just football but all sorts of regeneration possibilities.

"There's the Tottenham Hale option, all sorts of things we are exploring. We are looking at a Mayoral Development Corporation creating an arc of opportunity all the way through to the Olympic Park and the Royal Docks."

Yet Tottenham's position remains the same as it did after the Mayoral Development Corporation announcement was made last month. Chairman Daniel Levy said then: "This should only be considered a first step towards attracting private and public sector investment. In respect of our own new stadium plans, we continue to investigate all options."

Source: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23939836-boris-johnson-will-help-spurs-find-a-new-home.do

Hatch99

It'll be packed out every week now wont it

Leinstersqspur

For sale: 1 massive Olympic Stadium. Would suit Premier League club, or similar. Contact Gold, Sullivan, Brady!

everdead.ie

Hope we get some movement on our own project soon damn thing is taking forever I'll have emigrated and come back before we start any building at this rate!

Leinstersqspur

Interesting article in yesterdays Telegraph:

Four separate legal challenges between Tottenham and Orient, the OPLC and Newham cancel have got themselves into a right mess.... I'd say Levy is looking to sue them for loss of potential profits from a successful bid...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/west-ham/8590551/Tottenham-Hotspur-and-Leyton-Orient-face-crucial-week-in-oppostion-to-West-Hams-Olympic-Stadium-move.html

RichMc70

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/club-statement-230611.html

Club Statement
23June 2011

The Club has today (Thursday) been informed that the High Court has refused its application for permission to bring a claim against the London Borough of Newham and the Olympic Park Legacy Company, the Mayor of London and Government Ministers for judicial review of their decisions underlying the bid process for the conversion of the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games.

The Club now has the option of renewing its application at an oral hearing at the High Court and we shall give consideration to this in the next few days.
As previously reported, the Club continues to hold discussions with both local and national government bodies in order to seek to determine a feasible stadium solution.



Levy is like a dog with a bone and making himself look like complete idiot that doesnt know when to quit.

Mr. Guappa

Club Statement http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/futureplans/northumberland-development-project-club-submits-bid-to-regional-growth-fund-010711.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=northumberland-development-project-club-submits-bid-to-regional-growth-fund-010711

Northumberland Development Project - Club submits bid to Regional Growth Fund (RGF)
The Club has today (Friday) submitted a bid in line with the deadline for application for funds from Round 2 of the RGF in respect of the Northumberland Development Project (NDP), the Club's new stadium and associated development scheme.

The RGF awards funding for projects that will directly create jobs through private sector enterprise and growth that will enable or unlock future private sector jobs growth, particularly in those areas and communities that are currently dependent on the public sector.

The NDP represents a multi-million pound private sector-led regeneration scheme for North Tottenham, one of the most deprived parts of Britain – in an area where 40% of children live in households claiming benefits and a ward (Northumberland Park) where 71.6% claim employment and support allowance (national average 1.5%). The area is heavily dependent on the public sector.

Chairman Daniel Levy said, "The NDP plans represent sport-led regeneration, anchored by our proposed new stadium. It would directly create thousands of new, private sector jobs, attract millions of pounds of additional expenditure in the local economy and lever further private sector investment into the area. As importantly, it would also protect the hundreds of current Club jobs, its existing economic impact and the valuable work of the Club's charitable Foundation in the local communities, by enabling us to stay in our current location.

"We are one of the few large private sector employers in the Borough and the NDP is currently the sole significant proposed scheme for creating sustainable private sector jobs. Quite simply the Club is the only private entity looking to invest, on this scale, in the Borough and reverse the decline of decades of under-investment."

RGF monies would be used to deliver a package of major infrastructure improvements which are vital if the project is to act as a platform for wider regeneration and crucial if the whole project is to be made viable. These would include station upgrades, public community space, employment and training facilities, restored listed properties, Combined Cooling Heating Plant, site enabling and public realm works.

In support of the bid, Claire Kober, Leader, Haringey Council said, "The Council and Club are doing everything possible to make this scheme a reality, but the hard fact is that additional public sector financial support is needed to stimulate regeneration in this area. Without this it will be difficult for the scheme to provide the catalyst to economic growth and job creation in an area of high unemployment.

"Approval to the RGF bid will help unlock the transformation of the area. RGF funds will contribute to vital infrastructure improvements which are key for the scheme to proceed in a sustainable way. This will then underpin not only the new stadium and associated developments but also further development of new homes and jobs in the wider area leveraging additional value from the RGF investment."

David Lammy, our local MP, added his strong support saying, "I support this bid by Tottenham Hotspur, which has the opportunity to transform an entire community with the highest unemployment in London. The plan to redevelop White Hart Lane is far and away the most exciting regeneration project in London after the Olympics, and it is encouraging that it is private sector-led.

"This Regional Growth Fund proposal will benefit everyone in Tottenham and I urge the government to agree to Spurs’ bid.”

Daniel Levy added, "We are working hard to make the NDP scheme viable and enable us to stay in Tottenham and redevelop our existing site. Public sector assistance for infrastructure and public realm works would enable us to deliver the project and the RGF represents the single most important route for funding. Our hope must be that there is a recognition of the real need for investment in the Northumberland Park ward and that this project presents a real opportunity to deliver sustainable long-term private sector-led regeneration."

Hatch99

Hopefully, our dream is still alive

Leinstersqspur

I wouldn't be surprised if the board have been using the mismanagement of the OPLC and particularly Newham Council to leverage some state funds for the NDP.

Levy is one shrewd dude!

Hatch99

Sky reporting tonight that west ham made secret payments to official involved in olympic stadium bid :eek:

RichMc70

Club Deny Olympic Stadium Corruption Claims

West Ham have denied any wrongdoing over allegations of improper payments during the football club's successful bid to take over the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games.

The club said they are taking legal action against Tottenham Hotspur and The Sunday Times over allegations surrounding the validity of the east London stadium bidding process.
They said it was treating claims made by the newspaper "with the utmost seriousness" and insisted it was "certain of the robustness" of its successful bid.
The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) board, in charge of securing the future of the Olympic Park site, voted 14-0 in February to make the Hammers the first choice to move into the £486m stadium

The Sunday Times claimed West Ham paid £20,000 into an OPLC executive's bank account before and after it won the right to own the stadium after the Games.
Sky News reporter Enda Brady, at the stadium, said: "The allegations in the Sunday Times are namely that a female employee of OPLC received £20,000 in cash into her bank account from West Ham United Football Club.
"The same woman as we understand it is a girlfriend of a director of West Ham United.
"It is our understanding that the man and woman have both been suspended since these allegations were put to them on Friday."

The OPLC announced on Friday that it had suspended an employee after it was discovered she was working as a consultant for West Ham United during the Olympic Stadium bid.
It said: "It has come to our attention that an employee of the Olympic Park Legacy Company has been undertaking paid consultancy work for West Ham United FC.
"The company had no knowledge of this work and no permission was given to undertake it. This individual had no involvement whatsoever in our stadium process.
"The individual concerned had declared a personal relationship with an employee of West Ham United FC when she joined the organisation and we therefore put robust measures in place to ensure our stadium process was not compromised.

"The stadium team has been based at our law firm Eversheds' offices in the City and only the stadium team had access to information about the bids.
"As soon as this new information came to light the company took immediate action and launched an independent investigation."
West Ham, who were in a head-to-head contest with Tottenham Hotspur, stressed their belief that the bidding process had not been compromised.
They said it undertook an initial internal investigation which established that the work carried out by the individual was "not connected in any way to the bidding process for the Olympic Stadium but procurement project management thereafter".
The club added: "We are of the firm view that the integrity of the bidding process has not been compromised. We consider that the bidding process was robust and believe that remains the case."

Source: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Olympic-Stadium-Corruption-Allegations-OPLC-Executives-Suspended-On-West-Ham-Claims---Sunday-Times/Article/201107116023214?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_2&lid=ARTICLE_16023214_Olympic_Stadium_Corruption_Allegations:_OPLC_Executives_Suspended_On_West_Ham_Claims_-_Sunday_Times


Worrying developments ! Levy's Stratford dreams could be back on the table.

everdead.ie

I don't see how they can sue us?

Hatch99

The Mayor of London has given his support and backing to the Club's bid for funds from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), in respect of the Northumberland Development Project, the Clubs's new stadium and associated development scheme.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, lending his support to the bid said: "The Northumberland Development Project has the potential to inject considerable investment in stadium led regeneration in the heart of the local community. This level of investment will safeguard existing jobs, create considerably more local employment opportunities as well as enhance the public realm and vibrancy of the whole of Tottenham."

RGF monies would be used to deliver a package of major infrastructure improvements which are vital if the project is to act as a platform for wider regeneration and crucial if the whole project is to be made viable. These would include station upgrades, public community space, employment and training facilities, restored listed properties, Combined Cooling Heating Plant, site enabling and public realm works.

The Club's bid is for funding for public works, not for the stadium or any of the associated development, and, as such, this funding would facilitate the significant public sector improvements which would need to be delivered in the surrounding area and which would contribute to the general uplift of the borough.

Hatch99

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/spurs/News/joint-statement-tottenham-hotspur-football-club-and-haringey-council-310112.page?

Hatch99

Another positive step hopefully

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/spurs/News/tottenham-hotspur-and-sainsburys-announce-new-store-as-part-of-new-stadium-scheme-290212.page?

everdead.ie

Does anyone have any idea on any new developments?

When do we plan to break ground?

Are we any closer to a stadium naming rights deal?

Who is going to be our shirt sponsor next season?

I get the feeling a lot of this is going to depend on if we qualify for the UCL which puts us in a much stronger position....

Hatch99

All part of the process I would imagine, good to see ledley involved

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/spurs/News/ledley-joins-mayor-of-london-to-unveil-new-community-hub-06072012.page?

Hatch99

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/spurs/News/your-club-driving-major-sport-led-regeneration-in-tottenham-16072012.page?

Hatch99

I know some of you think it's a pipe dream, but I'm still confident that some day we'll get our new stadium.

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/spurs/News/club-appoints-mclaren-construction-to-deliver-new-supermarket-with-commercial-educational-space-above-18092012.page?

everdead.ie

Next season could be our last at the lane the plan was to build 3/4 of the stadium over an entire season ie probably start sometime later this year(May) then play in that 3/4 until the lane is demolished and the last stand put in. :-(

Hatch99

everdead.ie wrote: »

Next season could be our last at the lane the plan was to build 3/4 of the stadium over an entire season ie probably start sometime later this year(May) then play in that 3/4 until the lane is demolished and the last stand put in. :-(

It'll be sad but great that it's more or less on the same site or next door anyway. We'll still be travelling to the same place which is the main thing.

larry1

http://news.careerstructure.com/article/view/commercial/801452850/work-to-start-on-tottenhams-new-stadium

Hatch99

larry1 wrote: »

http://news.careerstructure.com/article/view/commercial/801452850/work-to-start-on-tottenhams-new-stadium

Hurry up lads or I'll be retired by the time it's built