It's like an old time musical 'Joke'

[bennythedip2]

London stadium boss quits - - (November 3 2016)

The boss of the London Stadium has resigned after an inquiry was opened into the soaring costs to the taxpayer to run the venue.

David Edmonds, the chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation which is responsible for the running of the city's Olympic Park and how the facilities are used following the 2012 Games, has quit his post.

The announcement comes after London mayor Sadiq Khan announced on Tuesday evening that he had ordered an investigation into the rising bill for converting the London Stadium for use by West Ham amid concerns that taxpayers will be saddled with the costs for years to come.

The LLDC confirmed the news in a statement released on Thursday, although it did not explicitly cite the new inquiry as Edmonds' reason for stepping down.

David Goldstone, chief executive of the LLDC, said: "David has made an enormous contribution to the legacy of the London 2012 Games and he has helped to steer the organisation through some extremely challenging issues. We thank him for all his hard work and wish him well in the future."

Edmonds was appointed as LLDC's chairman last September but he has been closely involved with the Olympic Park's legacy since 2009. He held senior roles with the LLDC's predecessor, the Olympic Park Legacy Company, and E20 LLP, a joint venture between Newham Borough and the LLDC.

A former chairman of NHS Direct and boss of the UK's telecoms regulator, Edmonds was a high-profile appointment for LLDC, particularly as he had also previously managed the NatWest Group's £3billion property portfolio.

But despite this impressive track record he has been unable to get a grip of costs at the London Stadium, with the bill for converting the venue from its Olympic set-up to one fit for top-flight football now £323million according to a spokesperson for Khan, £51m more than former London mayor Boris Johnson claimed last year.

A spokesperson for Khan, who succeeded Johnson in May, said: "Sadiq will now be looking to secure the very best possible candidate for this important role. He believes the Stadium will continue to be a world-class sports and entertainment facility hosting major events."

[Part-Timer]

How the hell can it cost £323 million to change what a stadium is used for. Arsenals ground cost £390 million, this includes buying the land and building the damn thing, not just fitting it out.