The government has rejected a petition to hold a public enquiry into the deal behind the rental of the Olympic Stadium…

West Ham United will take up occupation of the venue in time for the 2016/17 football season and lately the club has had to defend the funding of the stadium following a recent BBC documentary.

The government has stated that the contract for the stadium was awarded after an open public competition and has been widely scrutinised and tested in court.

"The agreement with West Ham United, including their contribution to transformation costs and rent, followed an open competitive process which was delivered under EU rules, conducted visibly and exposed to significant scrutiny,” stated the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).  

“The outcome has been tested in the courts and upheld.

“As the winning bid this constituted the best available return for the taxpayer and secures the commercial viability of a national asset for the next 100 years.”

THE DCMS continued by stating that the European Commission was responsible for assessing whether public investment distorted the competitive market and it had done so on more than one occasion resulting in the absence of a public inquiry.

Another issue has been the details of the rental agreement but DCMS added: "The detail of the rental agreement between the Stadium owners and West Ham United is commercially sensitive.

“Disclosing details of the contract would undermine the future negotiating position of the Stadium's operator, Vinci, who are working hard to bring in future events to get the greatest possible return and ensure that the Stadium is a commercial success.

“Such arrangements are standard practice and are designed to both protect the previous public expenditure and maximise the return on this investment."