Spurs chairman blasts local politicians for not supporting new stadium plan

Tensions are mounting in north London after Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy slammed local politicians for the city's lack of financial support in the construction of the club's new stadium.

In an email to senior city hall aide Simon Cooper and Haringey council chief Claire Kober, Levy said the club has been "taken for granted ... for too long" by local politicians amid the development of its new £800-million ground adjacent to its current home, White Hart Lane.

"This is about trust in the politicians and officials at the GLA (Greater London Authority) and Haringey, about confidence to deliver public infrastructure on time, the ability to seize the opportunity to attract foreign investment," Levy wrote in the email, obtained by the Evening Standard's Jonathan Prynn.

"THFC as the main economic driver of North Tottenham needs to be given the confidence to continue its £800-million investment generating 2,000 jobs and it needs to be this week," Levy writes.

While Levy's claims don't address a specific event, the Evening Standard reports that Tottenham and Haringey council have disagreed over the funding of mandatory neighbouring affordable housing, which Spurs has to provide as part of its planning deal.

Former mayor Boris Johnson's promise to reinvest £27 million to revitalise the Northumberland Park area in the wake of the summer 2011 riots could also have aroused Levy's ire, the Evening Standard notes.

(Photo courtesy: Tottenham)

The email, which was sent Sunday, comes as the club is in the final stages of securing Wembley Stadium as its home for the 2017-18 campaign and negotiating loans.

According to Levy, the scale of funding - without more significant public contributions - has led investors to "focus on the risks associated with the development for a company that only has a turnover of £250 million despite its global profile ...

"Actions speak louder than words and the next few days will tell how serious the public sector is in honouring its support for this massive regenerative project in one of the most deprived wards in London."

Since the new stadium was proposed, its cost has doubled, partly because Spurs signed a deal with the NFL in 2015 that means the venue must also be able to accommodate NFL games.

"The current administration has shown such little interest to date in the social and economic benefits that I am embarrassed when I hear the words being fed to the NFL by the GLA," Levy said.

A statement from Kober representing Haringey council said, "This scheme has always been central to our regeneration ambitions and we remain committed to working with our partners to ensure that it is a huge success for the residents of Tottenham and beyond."

A Tottenham spokesperson said, "This was a private email and it would not be appropriate for us to comment."