West Ham United has formally submitted its bid for the Olympic Stadium with a presentation at No 10 Downing Street.

Scott Parker, Carlton Cole and Mark Noble delivered the club's joint bid with Newham Council to run the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games to the Prime Minister's office.

They were joined by Newham Young Mayor Kaycee de Belen and pupils from Cleves Primary School, Upton Park, to hand in the radical plan. The proposal is to make the venue a vibrant centre of sport, education and culture.

The plan would see most of the iconic stadium structure retained after the 2012 Games. It would be adapted to have a 60,000-capacity and host football and athletics, alongside other major sports, concerts and community facilities.


The joint bid has already been welcomed by Lord Sebastian Coe and Ed Warner, the chairman of UK Athletics, as well as a number of major businesses in East London.

Mr Parker said: "I've been around the stadium and it is fantastic. It is going to be a superb venue for the Olympic Games and one we can all be proud of. But it also offers great potential after 2012, not just for West Ham and sport in general but for the local community. I really hope we get it."

The Premier League football club and the council believe the move could result in the best-ever legacy for an Olympic Stadium. It would generate much-needed employment in the area and make for a healthier East London by increasing sports and physical activity.

NThe plans would see the stadium playing a key role in inspiring learning and achievement, with thousands of youngsters visiting each year to make use of its facilities. It is hoped the venue will house innovative and exciting education resources.

The relocation of West Ham to the Olympic venue would also offer the opportunity for the current Upton Park stadium site to form part of a regeneration scheme that would include new homes, shops and community facilities.

(CD/BMcC)