BBC London Olympic Stadium Poll

A poll of Londoners on behalf of BBC London.

Date Published: 26 Jan 2011

Categories: Infrastructure | Public and communities | Social | UK

Description

Tottenham Hotspur's plans to dismantle 2012's £500 million Olympic stadium and rebuild a football stadium in its place do not have the support of most Londoners, according to a BBC poll.

Some 81% of Londoners were against the proposals to rip up the athletics track with only 14% in favour, according to the findings of the ComRes poll carried out for BBC London at the end of last week.

London promised to leave an athletics legacy for the capital when it was bidding for the Games. But Spurs believe the stadium will not work for football and athletics and have proposed to meet the legacy promise by modernising track and field facilities at Crystal Palace.

Leading British and international athletics officials, including 2012 chairman Lord Coe, have opposed the plans and back the bid of rivals West Ham who want to keep the track and use the arena for football and athletics.
The phone poll of 1,001 adults between January 21 and 23 suggests Londoners are equally as adamant that the stadium must have an athletics legacy.

Some 70% said the stadium in east London should be able to be used for athletics after 2012 with 26% disagreeing, according to the poll.

Asked which bid should win, West Ham's was supported by 72% of Londoners with only 13% supporting the Spurs bid. Some 12% thought neither club should be allowed to take over the stadium.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company is currently studying the two bids and officials are expected to make a decision on their preferred candidate in the next few weeks.

The views of Londoners are important because the city's Major Boris Johnson, together with the Government,  will have the final say on which bid is successful. If the Olympic Park runs at a loss in the future, it is also the Mayor who is likely to have to fund it and that could also affect the bills of council taxpayers in the city too.

ComRes interviewed 1001 adults in London by telephone between 21st and 23rd January 2011. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all adults in London. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.