Ken Livingstone has announced a £14 million grant to renovate Wembley Park Tube Station as part of his campaign to ensure the national stadium remains in London.

The Mayor of London announced on Tuesday that the government and Transport for London (TfL) had allocated the cash for improvements at the Underground station.

The government had already promised £9 million towards station capacity improvements, but the extra money will assist provision of disabled access.

For Mr Livingstone the revamped station will naturally partner a new national stadium at Wembley.

However, for Brent councillors, it's also a vital step towards regenerating the borough.

A council spokesman said that the application for Wembley Park Station was due to go before the Planning Committee last night and that officers had recommended its approval.

The prospect of extra millions of pounds of investment is not only a welcome boost for commuters but also for sports lovers who had despaired of seeing Wembley reopen.

The project to rebuild the national stadium has suffered several major setbacks over the past few years as financial troubles threatened to sink the deal.

But there are now hopes that this announcement is a sign of confidence that the £715 million scheme is back on track.

"This extra £14 million together with money already promised should provide the new Wembley Stadium with the public transport it deserves," said Mr Livingstone.

"I am pleased that I've been able to work with the government to deliver what is good news for London."

A TfL report advised the Mayor that capacity at Wembley Park must be expanded to at least 30,000 passengers an hour to allow for a smooth exit at the end of a concert or match.

The FA, which endorsed Wembley as its favoured location, is still waiting to hear if the project will go ahead after Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell ordered a delay last December.

She had told the House of Commons further consideration was necessary to investigate concerns about the bidding process.

March 14, 2002 13:30