By Alan Duffy
Tottenham’s proposed new Northumberland Park stadium – sanctuary from the poor
A key pledge in Spurs’ original deal with Haringey Council to build a new stadium in Tottenham has been torn up after the both parties agreed to abandon a promise by the club to invest around £16 million in the local community, much of which was badly hit by this year’s riots.
Tottenham have claimed that, in order to fund their new £400 million stadium, they will have to cancel that £16 million fund which was originally put in place to pay for a regeneration package of affordable homes and donations to local schools. Now, after a meeting on Monday night, the Council have agreed to forget the deal and allow Spurs to renege on providing housing for low-paid workers in the area. Spurs will also dodge paying a whopping £13.3 million for improving Tottenham Hale station, with taxpayers stumping up the money instead.
Local Liberal Democrat councillor, Richard Wilson, said:
“(The money) was being used to prop up a commercial development. The council seems to have failed to get a good deal for residents.”
However, Tottenham’s project director, Paul Phillips, hit back, saying:
“All major regeneration projects require a level of public sector support, especially in areas with such high levels of deprivation and need.”
Surely, despite the massive costs, providing at least some social housing in such a deprived area should have been a deal-breaking part of any project in the area?