Overall bill for Olympic Stadium soars to more than £700 million

The overall cost for the Olympic Stadium continues to rise.

As pointed out by Owen Gibson of the Guardian, the stadium's overall bill, which is being funded by taxpayers to a large extent, now stands at £701 million after the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) confirmed the total cost of converting the stadium into a new home for West Ham United at £272 million.

West Ham will move to Olympic Stadium for the 2016-17 Premier League season and will make a £15 million contribution in addition to the £2.5 million they will pay annually for a 99-year lease.

Olympic Stadium was initially priced up at £280 million for the London 2012 bid, a figure the LLDC argues was the cost of its original contract with contractor Balfour Beatty and that was never announced as a final budget.

Here's an idea of where the cost of Olympic Stadium ranks among other grounds in the United Kingdom:

• Wembley Stadium (£780 million)
• Millennium Stadium (£121 million)
• Emirates Stadium (£390 million)