A bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games in east London would be possible, according to a confidential feasibility report by Arup.
The consultant says it has found two places near Stratford station in the London borough of Newham that could be used to build a stadium.

According to the report, three types of stadium could be built on the sites:

  • An 80,000-seat venue suitable for an Olympic bid in 11 years' time,
  • A 20,000-seat venue (expandable to 50,000 for special events) for a World Athletics Championships in 2005,
  • A national football stadium to replace Wembley.

One source said that the facilities were in place to build an Olympic-class structure at Stratford, which he said had better transport links than the rival development at Picketts Lock, north-east London. Stratford is one of the main transport hubs in east London.

According to the report, funding for any venture would come from the national lottery and private health club and retail developers.

An Olympic bid would also be supported by the Stratford Railway Lands commercial development, an urban regeneration scheme that covers 10 million square feet.

The report adds that a stadium would be able to accommodate 2700 car parking spaces.

If an athletics stadium were built for the Olympic Games or the World Championships, it could be taken over by a Premiership club after the games were over. West Ham United is reported to have been in discussions with the British Olympic Committee about such a possibility.

Arup, which completed the report on its own initiative in July, will send a copy to London mayor Ken Livingstone this month.

If the Picketts Lock stadium is scrapped, as MPs such as Gerald Kaufman have demanded, the Arup report could provide ammunition for those arguing for an alternative site for a World Athletics Championship stadium.

A spokesman for the London Development Agency said, however, that Wembley was still favourite to house a national stadium as planning was in place, and the scheme was ready to go.

The LDA this month launched an advertising campaign to keep the stadium at Wembley.