Written by Viorel Mesca
Haringey Council’s planning committee has accepted Spurs’ plan to redevelop White Hart Lane and its surrounding area, which means that hundreds of millions of pounds are set to be invested in the process.
In the centre of this £400m plan is a new 56,250 capacity stadium for Tottenham, as well as Northumberland Development Project (which includes renovation of historic buildings, 200 new homes, shops, restaurants, two public squares, a 150-bedroom hotel, a podium surrounding the stadium).
This is a great idea as the construction of the stadium is expected to bring more than 200 jobs to the area, while the Development Project should create more than 300 new jobs at the stadium itself, as well as in the megastore, supermarket and hotel.
Claire Kober (Leader of the Council), said:
“The Spurs development has the potential to make a huge impact, not just on the success of the football club, but also on the whole of Tottenham – delivering job opportunities, regenerating the area, and boosting the local economy.
“We’re proud of Spurs’ rich history in Haringey and excited that the club has committed its future to the area.
“We look forward to seeing the development unfold and are confident that it will deliver fantastic improvements to this part of the borough.”
According to goal.com, Paul Phillips, the project director for Tottenham, told the committee:
“We have got a scheme now that is the right scheme for this site and this area.
The area is in real need of significant investment and we believe that this will allow this. There will be an increase in jobs, an increase in spend in the community.
We must stress that this is not a project that benefits the community 30 days a year. The scale and quality of this project will make it a vibrant place 365 days of the year.”
Despite the approval, Tottenham’s chairman Daniel Levy confirmed that the club has registered an interest in the Olympic Stadium.
According to tottenhamhotspur.com, he said:
“Clearly we are delighted with this unanimous decision and are grateful to all those who expressed such clear support for the plans. I should stress that there is still much work to be done. We shall continue to work with Haringey Council and the application will now be considered by the Mayor of London and referred to the Secretary of State.
In the meantime I can also confirm we have registered an interest in the Olympic Stadium site within the deadline of 30 September, in conjunction with AEG [Europe], the world’s largest entertainment and facilities management company.
It is only prudent and good management that we ensure that we investigate all possible options for the Club. We were informed by the Olympic Park Legacy Company that were we not to register an interest at this time, there would not be an opportunity at any future date.
We have always maintained that we wouldn’t undertake any project that could undermine the overall financial stability and future success of the Club and this shall remain our guiding principle going forward and in determining our best option in the interests of the Club and all its fans and stakeholders.
We shall keep everyone connected with the Club updated over the coming months as discussions continue with the various public sector bodies.”
Last night’s approval will be extraordinary news for Tottenham, who have encountered a series of setbacks with their initial application 11 months ago. There are reports that the club’s stadium would ready by the 2013-14 season.
The plans will now be referred to English Heritage, the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State for a final decision.
