Haringey Council 'should get a better deal with developers '

Dr Mark Panton, who lectures at Birkbeck, University of London, has written a book – Tottenham’s Trojan Horse – exploring the costs and benefits of regeneration schemes linked to the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium in Haringey.

He says that while councils are under financial strain due to austerity, they need to push harder to ensure developers provide enough affordable homes for their residents.

Dr Panton is giving a free talk on his work at Islington College tomorrow (Tuesday) – and he hopes those affected by the Tottenham project will attend.

He said: “Where developers build on their land, councils should be driving a harder bargain. Developers are starting off with 20 per cent profit and saying anything less is not viable.

“They (councils) have got to say no to that – not everyone gets a guarantee of a 20 per cent profit.

“Spurs ended up with plans for a new ground and 585 units. They got a financial viability report that said they were working with a one per cent profit margin.

“It wasn’t challenged – but if you are giving up land on the other side of the High Road, you would try and reach those (affordable housing) targets.”

Dr Panton, who is a keen football fan, said there was “no doubt” the club do a lot of good work in the area and regeneration would bring benefits.

But he added he believed gentrification was taking place due to the plans – that people and businesses were being pushed out of the borough and wealthier residents moving in.

Dr Panton said a councillor who spoke to him at the start of his research told him the area around the stadium would eventually “look like Kensington and Chelsea”.

He said: “There is no doubt that as the major landowner in that area, and a major employer, Spurs have a degree of power.

“The original planning agreement the council put forward was 285 units on the old ground.

“That was blown out of the water by a financial viability report, and they now have permission to build 585 units as well as a hotel – all of which will be sold at commercial rates.”

Dr Panton added that the club had successfully reduced its Section 106 contributions – money it pays to finance community and infrastructure projects – from £16.5 million to just £400,000.

The football club defended its plans and claimed it was developing hundreds of new affordable homes and creating thousands of jobs for local people.

The High Road West scheme – under which council-owned homes on the Love Lane estate are slated for demolition – is a partnership between the council and Lendlease, not Tottenham Hotspur.

A spokesman for the club said that if it had been appointed as developer for the High Road West project, it would have designed “something far more aspirational for the local community”.

He added that Tottenham Hotspur had made an application for a single site on the west side of the High Road – the Goods Yard development – which would deliver 40 per cent affordable housing.

The club’s previous residential schemes – Cannon Road and Berland Court – provided 256 new homes, all of which are classed as affordable.

The spokesman said: “The club makes no apologies for investing hundreds of millions of pounds in the development of a new stadium that will bring significant economic benefits to one of the most deprived areas of London, developing hundreds of new affordable homes or creating thousands of jobs for local people.

“We have a track record from the stadium site of successfully relocating businesses, the majority of whom chose to stay in the area – they all had choices, and all benefited.

“The club’s previous affordable housing schemes have enabled Love Lane Estate residents choosing to relocate to stay within their local area.”

Tottenham Hotspur is contributing £4 million to improve nearby infrastructure and has also opened a primary school and sixth form college.

Haringey Council says the new Spurs stadium will bring more than 1.5 million visitors to the borough every year, create 3,500 jobs and pump £293 million a year into the local economy.

Cllr Charles Adje, cabinet member for strategic regeneration, said: “We expect the stadium will provide hundreds of jobs for local residents and provide a major economic boost to local businesses.

“Our number one priority is that this stadium works for our residents and we will continue to work with the club to ensure people in Haringey feel the benefits of this fantastic destination.”

Dr Panton’s talk will take place at City and Islington College’s Centre for Lifelong Learning on Blackstock Road on Tuesday, January 15 at 6pm .