Ten year wait means Khan has one big question to answer | West Ham’s London Stadium Saga

The news that the Mayor has appointed consultants to consider how the stadium and the wider campus could evolve could well be seen as Sadiq Khan’s attempts to get his ducks in a row before some serious negotiations with West Ham (or anybody else) over the sale of the stadium and surrounding land.

After all, who would’t cover their back by finding out how much the whole site is worth before doing a deal with – anyone. The formal notification states that they will consider development:

” Into a leisure-led, mixed-use destination that complements London Stadium’s successful programme of sport, music and major events… confirming  that:

“We have now appointed Populous to explore potential development and leisure opportunities that will further enhance this outstanding London destination.”  (city.com)”

However it does beg the question: Why now?

That land has sat idly by for at least ten years and could have already been sold off, developed and completely transformed whilst bringing in a shed load of cash to the public purse.

The trigger may be the mounting debt after West Ham were booted into the second division and their rent halved: Both Kretinsky and Staveley will have ambitions to develop the surrounds themselves and, perhaps, West Ham’s stadium along side it. That may, or may not be the final outcome.

Quite possibly the summer hostile takeover bid has sent the stadium owners into a flurry of activity but the question remains – (whoever buys it) –  shouldn’t this process of feasibility study  – stroke site valuation have taken place at the same time as the ‘handover’ of the stadium to West Ham ten years ago, if not before.

Ironically it may well work to West Ham’s advantage that it has sat idle for ten years, as if waiting for an owner with deep enough pockets to exploit the huge potential of the area which could exist if the ‘roadblocks’ that West Ham and UK Athletics represent could be removed.