Spurs in second legal challenge over Newham Council and West Ham’s Olympic Stadium bid

Tottenham Hotspur are to launch a second court battle over the decision to hand the Olympic Stadium to West Ham United and Newham Council.

The north London club have already applied for a judicial review of Newham Council’s decision to award a �40 million loan to finance the move.

But Spurs today widened their challenge by asking the High Court to review the role of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, the Mayor of London and government ministers in the process.

Club bosses are understood to have submitted legal papers yesterday — three months since Legacy Company announced its decision.

In a statement, they said: “The club has today sought permission from the high court to bring a claim against the Olympic Park Legacy Company, the Mayor of London, the minister for sport and the Olympics and the secretary of state for communities and local government for judicial review of a series of decisions made by them to appoint a joint bid by the London borough of Newham and West Ham United as preferred bidder in a competition for the lease of the Olympic Stadium.

“As previously reported, the club continues to hold discussions with both local and national government bodies in order to seek to agree a feasible stadium solution.”

A Legacy Company spokeswoman said: “The Olympic Park Legacy Company ran a very rigorous and transparent process in its selection of the recommended preferred bidder. 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.”

Leyton Orient are also seeking a judicial review of Newham Council’s role in the stadium bidding process.

The High Court will now assess the claims and decide whether judicial review proceedings can begin.