At least three firms from the large-format, newspaper and paper sectors will be forced to relocate part or all of their premises which fall inside the 650m Stratford site.

Bow-based contract printer Newsfax, which will print the Berliner Guardian from the autumn, will have to move around 30%, or 6,000m sq, of its premises.

Managing director Tom Johnson said that the transition to a new site would be "seamless" for customers, and added new press equipment would be required for the move. Both large-format specialist Capital Print & Display (CPD) and Moorgate Paper have premises on Marshgate Lane, the site of the proposed stadium.

Moorgate is set to move into to the 2,200m sq building this month (PrintWeek, 30 June 2005). Managing director Neville Simpson, said: "It's a surprise but we will hopefully be relocating to somewhere better in two years' time."

CPD managing director David Gill, who oversaw the firm's move to new 12,500m sq premises only last year, said that the news was "an advantage for us".

"The London Development Agency has promised to build a brand new like-for-like factory in a five-mile radius of here and has indicated that the site may be near City Airport. It would be a good move," he said.

Other East End printers were delighted by the decision. John Ryan, marketing manager at large-format printer Augustus Martin
in Bow, said that higher property prices and better infrastructure could benefit the area.

"It will be a shot in the arm for display print as  retailers clamour to make the most of the situation. But that probably won't be until 2011," he added.

Story by Josh Brooks & Andy Scott