London 2012 Olympics: West Ham Olympic Stadium bid receives Government approval
West Ham have received approval from Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the Government to take over the Olympic Stadium after the London 2012 Games.
Approval: West Ham look set to inherit the Olympic Stadium Photo: REUTERS
By Nick Pearce 11:16AM GMT 03 Mar 2011
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The joint bid by West Ham and Newham Council had been recommended by the Olympic Park Legacy Company over Tottenham Hostpur's but this has now been confirmed.
The bid was chosen over Tottenham by the OPLC on the basis that their bid was a stronger match for the five criteria laid down. The key point was for the stadium to reopen as quickly as possible after the 2012 Games but Tottenham planned to demolish it and rebuild a football-specific venue.
Johnson hailed the decision, claiming that West Ham's ownership will ensure the Olympic Stadium does not become a "dust bowl" sporadically staging athletics events.
"I am confident that West Ham will provide a secure future for the stadium which also sees its iconic design for the London Games retained for future generations to admire," said Johnson.
"Just two years ago it faced the prospect of becoming a dust bowl staging occasional athletics events but now we can look forward to a fantastic multi-use venue at the heart of the community, able to host football and other sports, as well as concerts and events specifically for local people and schools."
The Mayor also pledged to help Tottenham with their plans to move to a new stadium, despite their obvious disappointment at missing out on a bid they thought they were well placed to win.
He added: "The extremely thorough process to select a preferred bidder for the stadium attracted two outstanding proposals from two great London football clubs.
"I would like to reassure Tottenham Hotspur that we stand ready to support them with any plans they now want to take forward for their future stadium requirements."
Local government minister Bob Neill said that both he and Olympics minister Hugh Robertson had approved the recommendation.
"This completes the first stage of this process and means that the Olympic Park Legacy Company are now able to enter into negotiations with the consortium comprising West Ham and the London Borough of Newham to agree a lease for the Olympic Stadium site on terms that are acceptable to Government and the Mayor of London and provide value for money to the public sector," he said.
"We are delighted with the progress that has been made and very pleased we have reached this very significant milestone in determining the long-term legacy for the Olympic Park following the Games."
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