TOTTENHAM have moved a significant step closer to building a new ground next to White Hart Lane.

After failing to secure a move to the Olympic Stadium, Spurs revisited plans to move next door to their current home.

And the club have now secured fresh funding from London Mayor Boris Johnson and Haringey Council to push ahead with the proposed 56,000-seater stadium, under the guise of the Northumberland Development Project.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: "As a major employer and business in the area we are delighted with this commitment from Mayor Johnson and Haringey Council.

"We have long said we could only invest in the area if we could see our commitment supported by others and that there was a real need to maximise the regeneration benefits and lift the wider area.

"We therefore see this as a commitment from the public sector to the Tottenham area and one which strengthens our ability to deliver a new stadium scheme with the potential to kickstart the long-term regeneration of north Tottenham."

Haringey Council leader Claire Kober added: "We have said all along that we are eager to support Spurs in their efforts to stay in Tottenham.

"They're a great club, with a great history in a great area which really wants them to stay.

"We are investing in the regeneration of Tottenham and supporting Spurs' Northumberland Development Project because we know that together we can bring new employment opportunities to Tottenham, significantly improve the area and attract investment for a successful and sustainable future."

Around £3.5million of the mayor's £18m support package will be spent on upgrading parts of nearby Tottenham Hale station.

Spurs gained planning permission for the NDP in October 2010.

thesun.co.uk