OPLC to meet on Friday to consider preferred bidder for stadium

The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) board will meet on Friday to consider whether to make Tottenham Hotspur or West Ham United its preferred bidder, although it is understood that the announcement could be delayed by up to a fortnight if further clarification is required from the clubs. The winner will be decided by a simply majority and the decision must then be rubber-stamped by the government and London's mayor, the 50/50 shareholders in the OPLC, but it is highly unlikely they will overturn the decision of the board. The OPLC hopes to keep the losing bidder engaged in the process in case the deal collapses but it is likely that the loser will look into the possibility of a legal challenge. Although the row over the athletics legacy has been at the forefront of the public debate, the terms of the bidding document said that offers must make provision for the athletics legacy in the 2005 bid book or propose a viable alternative. There will be five stated criteria employed by the OPLC, which is looking at the decision as one that will underpin their entire 20-year regeneration masterplan. They are: value for money, ability to deliver, to re-open as rapidly as possible, to ensure the stadium remains "a distinctive physical symbol" that will support regeneration and to allow "flexible use of the stadium" for schools, the local community, the wider public and elite sport.