The battle over land around The Den took another twist today as it emerged Lewisham Council obtained £20million of public funding despite an inaccurate claim that there was support from Sport England for part of the New Bermondsey development.
Last month, the council announced it had ditched its current plans for a compulsory purchase order. Millwall have been fighting against the proposal, saying if they lost the land it would threaten their future in the borough.
Following the council’s decision it emerged the sports foundation at the heart of the development had been accused of making inaccurate claims about funding.
Sport England wrote to the Surrey Canal Sports Foundation in September 2014 asking it to stop claiming it had been promised £2m.
But the claim of the £2m pledge appeared six months later in the annual accounts of the Foundation, a charitable company set up by property developers Renewal. And a report to the council’s cabinet 12 months ago said SCSF had “in principle a pledge of £2m from Sport England”.
Today it emerged that the council had also made inaccurate claims about the backing.
In the autumn of 2014, the council made an Action Zone Housing bid to the Greater London Authority for £20m and said the foundation had received pledges of support from, among others, Sport England.
Councillor Alan Hall has been a long-time opponent of the CPO and is chair of the council’s business panel, which is meeting tonight.
He said: “I intend to raise the serious matters with the council officers this evening.”
Lewisham council were not available for comment before the Standard went to press.
The council insist the CPO has been abandoned but Millwall have suspicions the process could be restarted and the League One club want a commitment from the council there will not be a new CPO.
