Arsenal stadium plans face court challenge
Deputy British Prime Minister John Prescott’s decision to confirm a compulsory purchase order as part of the plan to build a new football stadium for Arsenal Football Club is being challenged in the High Court today.
Mr Prescott recently accepted the London Borough of Islington’s case that the implementation of the proposals would make a substantial contribution to the regeneration of the area.
Arsenal proposes to move south from Highbury to its new purpose-built stadium at Ashburton Grove.
But the owners of businesses and local properties covered by the order are fighting its legality.
There has been a four-year battle to get approval for the scheme, which will see the redevelopment of Arsenal’s current Highbury home.
As well as the multi-million pound stadium, the club has stated it is proposing more than 2,000 homes, space for business and aims to create up to 1,800 full-time jobs on the site at Ashburton Grove.
It also intends to provide £500,000 (€723,868) for a community development trust and £40,000 (€57,906.81) a year for local initiatives until one year after the stadium opens.
Planning permission for the stadium was granted by Islington Council in May 2002. But the assembly of sites needed to enable the entire scheme’s go-ahead was dependent on Mr Prescott’s approval.
