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Olympic horse events will be in Greenwich
Matthew Beard, Sports News Correspondent22.10.08
OLYMPIC chiefs were today confirming that the 2012 equestrian event will take place in Greenwich Park despite fierce local opposition.
A monthly meeting of Olympic board is expected to rubber-stamp recommendations made in a government-commissioned review by accountancy firm KPMG.
The report will be presented this afternoon to the board, which consists of Olympic minister Tessa Jowell, Mayor Boris Johnson, 2012 chief Sebastian Coe and Colin Moynihan, chairman of the British Olympic Association.
KPMG concluded it would be more expensive to move the horse riding events to alternative venues at Badminton or Hickstead, West Sussex.
Two other temporary venues were included in the review: basketball and shooting at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich.
The 12,000-seat basketball arena looks certain to remain in the north of the park following the report's recommendations. Olympics' chiefs will agree that without the arena they would marginalise a sport which has significant youth appeal and the potential to deliver a significant sports legacy.
The future of the shooting venue may not be decided today. However the analysis by KPMG is thought to say that moving the event outside London to the National Shooting Centre in Bisley would not be worth the extra expense.
Plans to scale down the Olympic village by a third as revealed in the Standard are expected to dominate tomorrow's meeting of the Olympic board and will be high on the agenda when the International Olympic Committee visits London next month.
Fears that corners will be cut on athletes' accommodation to contain costs have been raised by scores of nations at an Olympic summit in Mexico. Mr Moynihan said he had been approached by counterparts planning to bring teams to 2012 at a summit in Acapulco earlier this month.
He said: "It was raised in Mexico, it will be raised at the board and you can be sure that it will be raised by the IOC. These nations need assurances that the village will have the right design.
"This is not about five-star accommodation or even four-star but the need for athletes to live comfortably and relax so that they can perform at their peak. You cannot underestimate the importance of the village."
Reader views (17)
Can anyone tell me why we want the Olympics. The national lottery funds have been hijacked for the benifit of professional athletes instead of going to charity. We will see lots of wasteful expenditure in unsuitable places. Lots of fat cats creating their own little empires and raking in extortinate salaries and expenses.
No consideration will be given to the feelings and wishes of locals who are against any of the preconceived plans. It will be an ego trip for athletes and politicians.
The Olympics is a business now, not the amature glory it used to be, so why not let it self finance.
- Terence Bailey, N. Wales
The park at Greenwich is far too small, the traffic would be a nightmare for competitors and visitors, it should be moved to Windsor, where they're already hosting the 2009 Europeans. It would make much more sense!
- Tracey, Kent, UK
How ridiculous. Why not move it to Badminton which is already built and wouldn't need more investment?
- Arthur Atkins, Acton
To Sara from Perth: 1. Did you ever see how David Blaine's fans wrecked the park he had his glass box escapade held in by the river a few years back? That entire park - which incidentally was way smaller than Greenwich - had to be re-turfed and that was only because too many people's feet had been trampling about on it, not great big horses hooves gallopping about at speed. Secondly, it would take YEARS for the grass to grow back. Why should we, not to mention the wildlife, wait years for it to grow back? 2. You're on the other side of the world so I'm sure no one's remotely interested in your opinion.
- Jimmy, Fulham, London
Equestrian Event would destroy Greenwich Park. Assurances that it would not are totally unrealistic.
Greenwich does not need to be 'put on the map' - it has been 'since Time began'. Please stop this lunacy before it is too late.
- Sue Mclaren, Greenwich, London
For goodness sake, parks have been changed for centuries!
And do you know what they grow back.
The olympics are a once in a lifetime experience, which is going to help showcase London, its historical places and its people.
I know you are city dwellers,that this park is important to you, but it will grow back and change as nature does. But there is no such thing as "irreversibly" in nature, it changes and adapts. Think of it as a new lease of life for the park and watch the changes as they occur, nature is amazing should be watched in awe as it heals the park you seem to think is going to damaged beyond repair.
- Sara, perth, Australia
The organisers would realise that to many Londoners there are things in life more important than sport. One is the countryside. Greenwich Park is our piece of countryside in London. Let us enjoy it in peace.
- Michael Nelson, London UK
The equestrian events should be held at existing facilities which are much more suitable. Using the park will waste money, create operating difficulties to the organisers, provide no legacy and prevent huge numbers of people from using the park for a considerable time. There is also the potential for permanent damage a World Heritage Site – a priceless legacy to us from previous generations.
This choice has been made simply for a good photo opportunity and is not in the interests of the participants, the spectators, the people of London or the future generation of participants.
- Paul Maloney, Greenwich, London
Let's do our 2012 project a great favour:
sack these 'competition managers'
sack the ODA fat cats who have no idea how to run a large even like this
sack all those associated with 2012 who are blatently ignoring the opinions of people living near proposed sites.
Sack the mickey mouse 'diversity' managers (just what DO they do exactly?)
AND
EMPLOY real professionals at a reasonable salary (not more than £50K pa)with the promise of a modest bonus if they deliver the goods.
Then we might have an event to look forward to.
- Joannie, London, England
You people of Greenwich will have a major battle on your hands if you think you can stop the ODA getting their own way. Remember how they treated the Celia Hammond Animal Trust when they wanted to rescue the feral cats and kittens from the Stratford site? If not, check out Celia Hammond's website. Celia Hammond never tried to block building on the site, they simply wanted to go in - at night when the site was CLOSED, with their own people who were qualified to operate on construction sites and in first aid - to remove animals that in many cases would previously have been family pets and which through no fault of their own were facing starvation or a horrendous death. This would not have delayed the building work or incurred any cost on the part of the ODA but they repeatedly said "No" on the grounds of health and safety (yeah, right!) Instead volunteers for Celia Hammond ended up having to take MORE personal risk by setting up feeding stations at the road side. If that was the ODA's attitude to the most popular household pet in Britain, then what do you think their attitude will be to a park? So best of luck to all of you in Greenwich... and start making your protest heard now!
- Victoria Whiteley, St Albans, Hertfordshire
Where is the proof that moving the Equestrian events away from Greenwich would be more expensive? What are the exact figures? Can the Evening Standard submit a FOI request and establish the amounts that KPMG are actually talking about?
This isn't really about finance or what is best for equestrianism is it? The Govt have probably made promises over the Greenwich contract and don't want to back down.
If they really wanted to save money they could start by cancelling Andy Burnham's ridiculous plan to spend £30 million on 225 "competition managers" to increase "competitive spirit" in schools.
- Sally Wainman, Ipswich Suffolk
I'm a local resident and I strongly oppose the decision to hold Olympic Equestrian events in Greenwich Park. The arrogant indifference of the Olympic organisers to the overwhelming local opposition is astounding. Greenwich Park is clearly an unsuitable venue and creating a track will involve damage to trees that are hundreds of years old. This is quite apart from the obvious issues with transport, congestion and parking. The Olympic organisers have refused to provide anything but the sketchiest details of their plans because they know that those details will be unacceptable and will galvanise opposition. This is a calculated move to leave it as late as possible and then claim there is no time to make alternative arrangements.
The park is a public amenity and it is disgraceful that public opinion can be completely ignored in this way, though perhaps not surprising given the spectacular disregard for the most basic budgetary concerns.
- Alice Adams, London, UK
This is a travesty.
They will destroy a beautiful historic park, kill ancient trees and ruin the area.
They are also selling the Horse event short by pushing them into a totally unsuitable venue. How can it be cheaper to rebuild Greenwich park and, allegedly put it back again, exactly how it was which I do not believe, than use an existing world class facility?
It's all about the ruddy Olympic committee isn't it who want their special car lanes to get them through London traffic like the ruddy Politburo.
- Rhd, London UK
To desecrate permanently our beautiful historic park for the sake of an event lasting a few days which will then be forgotten by most, is totally misguided. Come to Greenwich Park on a sunny day, and see how many people enjoy it in its unspoiled state.
- Anthony Dove, London, UK
A good start, now how about moving the rowing and canoeing from Windsor to the Docklands which is actually London, will be more cost effective and has a longer history of both the sports - come on Boris!
- Elpactus, Richmond, UK
If this true then they are saying "we are going to squeeze the horses into a park that no-one wants because we can't afford/be bothered to do equestrianism properly." It insults the intelligence to suggest it would more expensive to move it Hickstead where all the infrastructure bar the cross country course exists. Its owner Douglas Bunn has already gone of record saying he would donate the site for free! Your previous report said KPMG indicated it would cost only £1m to build a cross-country somewhere else! The latest site plan is a total mess, with the start and finish of the cross-country at opposite ends of the Park - an sure indication that it is too small for a course of the correct length. A lot of sceptics are guessing that LOCOG is half-hoping that equestrian will have been dismissed from the Olympic movement by 2012, so they won't have to worry about building it anywhere, and the equestrian associations will not then be left with egg on their face because no-one will be able to prove that it was never going to work. What a sham.
- Clare Fawdry, Reigate, Surrey
So, the Olympics industry can get its own way despite what local people want and the expert opinion that Greenwich Park will be irreversibly damaged. This event will leave a sour taste in many mouths for years to come. Is it all worth it, just so that so many British Olympic egos can be massaged ?
- Peter Haldane, London
