Olympic stadium debate on capacity and legacy draws a full house
Olympics minister Tessa Jowell defiant plans will not change
The determination of the Olympics minister Tessa Jowell to end debate over the legacy of theOlympic Stadium, in particular the prospect of it remaining at its full 80,000 capacity beyond 2012, has raised eyebrows.
The issue arose after Baroness Ford, the new chair of the London 2012 Legacy Delivery Company, said she wanted to re-examine the idea of the Stratford venue retaining a larger capacity for use during a potential 2015 Rugby World Cup and/or the 2018 football World Cup.
The Olympic Delivery Authority chief executive, David Higgins, also believes a larger capacity, mixed-use venue beyond 2012 shouldn't be discounted.
He points to the example of Sydney , where the stadium was used for a further seven years at full capacity before temporary seating was removed. And West Ham want to reopen negotiations about moving in. But Jowell is adamant that the existing plan – for a 25,000 seat athletics stadium with a school and skills academy in the undercroft – was arrived at after in-depth consideration and that it would send the wrong signals to reopen the debate.
Yet it has emerged that the Tories are now committed to re-examining all options if they get into power. "We want to preserve the athletics legacy but I'm very open minded about a possible future football use, as is right when we've spent £500m of public money," the shadow sports minister, Hugh Robertson, told Digger.