An appeal "against the decision to release full details of West Ham's Olympic Stadium deal is due to be heard in London on Monday," according to Frank Keogh of the BBC. Stadium bosses, the London Legacy Development Corp., have spent about £17,000 ($24,230) "fighting a ruling that the contract should be made public." It "argues the deal contains commercially sensitive information." Last month, the London Assembly "called for the rental agreement to be published in full." Monday's independent tribunal hearing is open to the public, "although it is likely to be several weeks before a decision is announced." At a meeting earlier this month, the London Assembly "heard thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money has been spent in an effort to keep full details of the West Ham deal out of the public domain." Stadium bosses are "worried that if all the figures are made available, it would place them at a commercial disadvantage, undermine negotiations and reduce returns to the taxpayer." Other venues in London, such as Wembley and Emirates Stadiums, do not publicize "all the details of their arrangements." One "big unknown from the deal is who benefits, and by how much, from the stadium naming rights." This arrangement is "likely to run into tens of million of pounds." Other questions the coalition says "it wants answered include:"
- How "much the stadium costs to hire?"
- Cost of stadium maintenance, "and who pays for it."
- What happens if West Ham United "is sold by its current owners?"
- How much "the club earns from matchday catering?" (BBC, 1/22).
