Tottenham Hotspur: New stadium plans given major boost

How Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium will look

Tottenham Hotspur's 58,000-capacity stadium plans have taken a major step forward after the government approved a compulsory purchase order allowing building work to begin.

More than 95% of the site has been approved and the order will allow the final two of three phases to go ahead.

Spurs hope to be able to open the new stadium, which will be built next to White Hart Lane, in 2017.

In a statement, the club said: "This is a very significant step."

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "This scheme is supported by the locally determined development plan for the area and has received strong local support."

The Premier League club, who lost out to West Ham United in a bid to move to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, believe moving to the three-hectare site will help them increase their revenues and compete better against Europe's top clubs.