Spurs lawyers kick off potential court battle over future of Olympic stadium

Lawyers for the north London Premiership football club have sent letters to key organisations involved in the decision raising a “number of concerns” over the selection process.

A spokesman for the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), which is in charge of securing the future of the Olympic Park after the Games, said: “We can confirm that a letter before action in relation to potential judicial review proceedings has been issued.”

The selection process which saw the OPLC board unanimously vote 14-0 to make the Hammers its first choice to move in to the £486m stadium had been fair and robust, they argued.

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

“We have been supported by independent experts in their field in terms of legal, financial, commercial and technical advice.

“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.”

Tottenham lost out in a head-to-head contest with West Ham to become the new tenant of the stadium in Stratford, east London.

West Ham, in a joint bid with Newham Council, intend to convert the 80,000-seater stadium into a 60,000-capacity facility which retains an athletics track. The club plans to move from Upton Park in 2014/15 with a 250-year lease and give a 250-year lease to UK Athletics.

Tottenham's plans, part of a joint bid with AEG sport and entertainment group, had been to create a football-only stadium and redevelop Crystal Palace for athletics.

In a statement, Tottenham Hotspur said their lawyers had written to the OPLC, the Mayor of London, the Minister of sport and the Secretary of State for Local Government and to the London Borough of Newham raising their concerns.