Blackstone acts for Spurs on Olympic Stadium judicial review
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club has instructed Blackstone Chambers’ Dinah Rose QC to lead its judicial review proceedings into the decision to give West Ham United use of the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 games.
Dinah Rose QC
Rose was instructed by Olswang partner Dan Tench to lead the fight against the London Borough of Newham, the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the Government.
The matter is shaping up to be one of the biggest sports case of the year, with seven top notch silks involved with the proceedings.
Newham Council has instructed Blackstone Chambers’ John Howell QC to lead Paul Luckhurst and Tom de la Mare in defence of the claim.
The OPLC, whose board recommended West Ham as the preferred bidder, has drafted in Brick Court’s Richard Gordon QC and Monckton Chambers’ Daniel Beard QC.
The Greater London Authority has also gone to Brick Court, instructing Martin Chamberlain.
Monckton Chambers’ Paul Harris QC and Alan Bates have won the Government mandate, advising the Department for Culture Media & Sport and The Communities and Local Government.
West Ham, which will be an interested party in the proceedings, has also gone to Blackstone, with David Pannick QC instructed by Henri Brandman & Co name partner Henri Brandman.
In a separate move Leyton Orient Football Club has also kick started judicial review proceedings, with Mishcon de Reya instructing Adam Lewis QC to lead Tom Richards, both of Blackstone Chambers, for the club. The Leyton Orient judicial review is on the same subject as the Tottenham Hotspur one.
West Ham, in a joint bid with Newham Council, wants to convert the 80,000-seater stadium into a 60,000-seater stadium, keeping an athletics track.
The club plans to move from Upton Park in 2014-15 with a 250-year lease and to give a 250-year lease to UK Athletics (UKA).
Spurs’ case will scrutinise details of a £40m loan provided by Newham Council to finance the move.
No hearing date has been set down yet and more counsel could be added to the list. A source close to the case said it was likely the court would join Spurs’ proceedings with those launched by Leyton Orient.
Readers' comments (5)
Avram Grant | 20-May-2011 4:27 pm
In this day and age, why are a local council giving a club like West Ham a loan? Where does a council have 40m to spend?
It is not like West Ham even need it. After all, they have Karen Brady who became a MD at Birmingham straight out of university without at all utilising her family connections. Also, when they move in to the Olympic Stadium, West Ham will no doubt sell Upton Park for redevelopment and make about 100m. Add that to selling their players this summer for 40m and getting a tax rebate on the loss they will make on Rob Greene and Carlton Cole (after all, who in their right mind is going to buy them?). Another point - it will be a total embarrassment having a Championship (and soon to be League One) club play in the Olympic Stadium - you can just see when they line up against Yeovil Town in the LDV Vans Trophy in two years time, one of the stands being as bare as Arsenal's trophy cabinet over the last 6 years.
Another point - why is a small club like Spurs hiring a lawyer even news worthy? Champions League you are having a laugh.
The best option would be for Spurs, West ham and Orient (which I actually though ran a train company in Austria) to merge and call themselves London Spurs or something. Or the London Olympians. That would be a real legacy.
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lieutenant | 20-May-2011 5:08 pm
theres too much prevarication by newham council west ham and olympic committee spurs want to expand grow already with 20 million loyal fans worldwide great plan to help develop crystal palace south london need a suitable location infrastructure...ICCassuals dudes posse outlaws...
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Harry Redcrap | 20-May-2011 9:19 pm
If the real Avram Grant spouted as much tripe as the individual above, then West Ham would have been relegated months ago.
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Bill Bobbin | 21-May-2011 0:38 am
Newham are not lending West Ham £40 million they are lending the company that will manage the Olympic Stadium £40 million, this company will be 50% owned by the council and 50% by West Ham. Any money from the sale of the Boleyn Ground will be also paid into the new company. And in two years time the stadium won't even be ready for football!
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Anonymous | 21-May-2011 3:16 am
Under what ground of review is this being brought?!?!?!?
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