Tottenham's New Stadium Approved By Council

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 161 months ago
Tottenham's New Stadium Approved By Council
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Haringey council's planning committee last night approved Tottenham's new 56,000-seater stadium at Northumberland Park.

Plans for the new ground, unveiled nearly two years ago, hit a snag earlier this year when the Victorian Society objected to it as construction would involve the removal of several historic buildings along Tottenham High Road. Despite that, Haringey are convinced that the £400 million stadium would deliver job opportunities to the area, and result in "fantastic improvements" to the borough. Such is the club's confidence in the stadium's quality, they believe it stands a chance of being selected as one of the grounds for England's 2018 World Cup bid.

The project's not in the clear yet, though: despite Haringey's imprimature, it still needs to be signed off by the Mayor, English Heritage, and Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt. It is perhaps this uncertainty that has resulted in Spurs making enquiries about moving into the Olympic stadium; the club confirmed yesterday that it has collaborated with AEG on a surprise joint bid, putting them in direct competition with West Ham, who also want the stadium.

As the Financial Times notes, it may be little more than a "tactical lever", but Spurs fans celebrating the news out of Haringey today should be wary that, come 2013, there's still a chance that they'll be stalking out to Stratford to watch their team play.

Last Updated 01 October 2010