Tottenham Hotspur have moved a step closer to starting the development of their new stadium after the High Court ruled in the club's favour over a planning dispute with a local steel company.
Archway Sheet Metal Works Ltd -- which is situated next to Tottenham's current White Hart Lane home and sits on part of the land Spurs are seeking to build their new stadium -- have embarked on a long campaign to fight the compulsory purchase order granted to the Premier League club to buy the land currently used by the company.
After a series of legal battles, it appears that the steel company are now running out of options after their latest court battle ended in defeat, with Tottenham expressing their hope that they will now be able to proceed with the construction of a stadium they hope to have in place for the start of the 2018-19 season.
"Mr Justice Dove rejected Archway's challenge to the Compulsory Purchase Order on all grounds," said the club in a statement.
"Following this, Archway, the owners of the last remaining land to be acquired for the stadium site, requested permission to appeal the judgment and this was refused by Mr Justice Dove who concluded that an appeal had no reasonable prospect of success.
"Archway now have 21 days in which to apply to the Court of Appeal. While there is still therefore a possibility of a further appeal, the hope must be that this High Court decision will now allow us to progress what is widely recognised as the flagship development in the regeneration of Tottenham.
"The objectives of the CPO, as originally stated in 2012, underline the importance of today's decision and recognise the compelling case in the public interest."
Tottenham have confirmed that they have 350 million pounds at their disposal to proceed with the stadium development project, which they hope will allow the club to move to the next level and compete with some of the biggest names in English football in the coming years.
It remains to be seen whether Archway Sheet Metal Works will now give up their fight with Tottenham, but their determination to fight the compulsory purchase order every step of the way suggests they may embrace their option to take the case to the Court of Appeal.
The bitterness of the battle intensified last year when a fire ripped through the steel company's offices, while the owners have also claimed they have been subjected to abuse from Tottenham fans urging them to give up their legal battle.
Tottenham will be forced to move out of their White Hart Lane base for a season while their new stadium is being completed, with the stadium:mk venue used by League One side MK Dons believed to be among the favoured options.