West Ham and LLDC considering appeal over Olympic Stadium deal - Boris Johnson

Hammering out the deal: West Ham are considering their next steps
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
James Benge16 September 2015

The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and West Ham United are considering an appeal against the Information Commissioner’s demand for publication of the Olympic Stadium deal, according to Boris Johnson.

The club suffered a major setback earlier this week when the Information Commissioner told West Ham and the corporation to release full details of their 99-year lease.

The LLDC had previously argued that doing so would harm their future ability to negotiate deals with future tenants, but a freedom of information request by a coalition of 14 supporters’ groups means that further details of the contract will have to be released by the organisation.

The corporation has the right to appeal the Information Commissioner’s decision and Johnson has warned that whilst he is willing to release the contract in full West Ham are prepared to fight its publication.

During Mayor’s Question Time Johnson said: “I would be perfectly happy to publish the details of this arrangement.

“But I understand the football club concerned is not so keen because they think it would give other clubs an insight into their finances. I think they may be trying to take legal action on that point.

“The jist of the matter is that this has actually been a fantastic success. The stadium is doing brilliantly, it had a brilliant summer. I am sure it will do very well during the Rugby World Cup and it is basically unlike any other Olympic Stadium around the world.”

The commissioner’s judgement was made against the LLDC and it is they who have the right to appeal any decision.

A spokesman for the corporation confirmed that they were “disappointed” with the ruling, confirming that they were “carefully considering” their next steps.

Their approach has received backing from the club, who maintain that their deal represents the best future for the stadium.

West Ham United FC

“West Ham United shares the Mayor's view that our presence at the former Olympic Stadium guarantees it a viable and sustainable future,” said a club spokesman.

"Our 99-year agreement will not only return hundreds of millions of pounds to the taxpayer, it will also ensure that London's Olympic Stadium will not join the long list of other former Olympic Stadiums that are rotting away through lack of use.

"The LLDC have stated their disappointment at the Information Commissioner's Office ruling as they believe it will damage their ability to secure the best deal for the taxpayer in future and we share those sentiments.

"The club would like to point out, so that everyone is 100 per cent clear, that it is not party to the Freedom of Information Act, and that the Information Commissioner's Office ruling is not against West Ham United, it is against the LLDC.

"The club is now working with the LLDC to decide the appropriate next step."

The fan coalition called on the mayor to not delay publication of further details on the West Ham deal, and Johnson has backed that release, maintaining that he has not yet been able to.

Banging on: Boris Johnson
Ben Pruchnie/Getty

“We have been very up front,” he added. “The reason we have not published the details so far is because we have only just concluded the last letting of the contract and hospitality areas.

“We did not want to put anything out that would impact upon our ability to negotiate future contracts. The main contract breakdown as you know: £189 million for the main transformation works, £17 million for the retractable seating, £7 million for the hospitality fit out, £7 million for the pre-transformation works.

“The funding for the transformation works comes from a number of different sources: £40 million from the London Borough of Newham, £15 million from West Ham United Football Club and so on.

“I am very happy to release all the details, but it is the club who are not happy to do this and they are considering at the moment taking legal action to protect their rights to privacy on that front.”

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