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Final bill for 2012 velodrome doubles to £80 million
Matthew Beard, Evening Standard08.04.08
The planned 2012 Olympics velodrome has doubled in cost to £80million, it was announced today.
In another embarrassing price increase, Olympics chiefs confirmed the budget for the 2012 aquatics centre, which is planned for Stratford's Olympic Park as well as the cycling facility, has more than tripled to £242million.
Officials said the extra money would fund a dramatic bridge between the pool and Stratford railway station, forming the eastern "Gateway to the Games".
The velodrome disclosure comes only five months after Olympics minister Tessa Jowell told Parliament the budget for the venue stood at £40 million.
Olympic Delivery Authority chiefs said the venue had expanded to become a "VeloPark" which, apart from the 6,000-seat indoor track, will also house a BMX circuit, with mountain bike courses added after the Games.
The cost of the 2012 VeloPark has drawn comparisons with the relatively cheap £20 million Manchester Commonwealth Games cycling facility.
Shadow Olympics minister Hugh Robertson said: "Today's figures dramatically illustrate the total inadequacy of the original bid figures. The worst example of this is the velopark - they are relatively easy to cost and to have seen the cost double between the bid and the contract is inexcusable."
ODA chief executive David Higgins said: "All of these venues will provide state-of-the-art facilities for 2012 but also provide a permanent legacy."
Reader views (15)
Another opportunity for Bertrand Delanoe the mayor of Paris to have a new big laugh if he reads these lines!
- Anne-Laure, Geneva Switzerland
What's to complain about? It's money being spent in London on projects that will still be here when we're long gone.
- Tom Bailey, Leytonstone
I would suggest that the ODA ask the two hedge fund managers who have just apparently paid themselves £800M - reported on this page - to sponsor the stadium. They would still have plenty left to buy a yacht or two.
- Patrick Griffin, Dalston
Hey Ho. What a bloody waste of money this Games is going to be. Why do we need a track costing £80 million for cyclist to peddle around? I was very sorry that Paris did not get the honour of hosting the 2012 Olympic Games and now I am very very sorry. It is going to be a costly farce as the people of the world no longer have respect for the Olympic and the people of England no longer have any respect for their discredited Government.
- Bill, London
I lost my favourite mountain bike race series for this!
- Al Stuart, Ealing
Did I read wrong you did say Drome not Dome same old story I am not surprised.
- Paul,, London
Calling it the "Final" cost is very premature and optimistic when they haven't started building it yet. £80million today sounds like at least £100million by 2012 adding in some of Gordon Brown's inflation legacy to the mix. Will Ken, Tony, Tessa et al leave their forwarding addresses so that we can send on the bills?
- Dh, London
Ken has never hidden that he wants us all on bikes.
- David Smith, Croydon
It beggars belief how a team of supposedly experienced people can get it so wrong. It's a bit like a stuck record hearing TJ yet again re-assuring the Commons that this time they've got it right.
More importantly, this feels like child in a candy store syndrome with each member of the Committee adding yet more bells and whistles, because the money is easy to get. The result is we're getting a Rolls, when something less highly spec'd might be more appropriate.
Time to get some proper project managers in to contain the whimsy and get on with the real task of building.
- Matthew, london
I made some comments, tongue in cheek as it were, early part of last year to some friends that the 2012 UK Olympics costs would probably be around 15 Billion Pounds, then I upped the figure to £20 Billion Pounds. The comments in todays 'Evening Standard' was a bit of 'deja vue' when the reported mentioned '£20 Billions'. I just wonder about the 'Promises' that Ken Livingstone and NU Labour apparatchiks have been saying for many months about how much London Council Tax payers wil have to pay -- 38 Pence I think Dear Ken mentions. What a lot of 'Round Spherical Objects'. London Council Tax payers, and those in the Home Counties adjoining London will be lumbered for the costs for years to come.
NU Labour under 'Ed Balls as the next 'Dear Leader', will put the blame on them 'Nasty Torys', or anybody else as per usual. Nobody, from Ken Livingstone, Tessa Jowells, the Olympic Development Agency will take any responsibility for the rising costs. It will all be blamed on 'Somebody Else'. Guess Who? The next Conservative Government under Cameron thats who!!
- B Clarke, Chelmsford Essex UK
At least it is pretty unlike the horrible main stadium, which is frankly an embarrassment.
- Stephen, London
Yet again another example of the pigs at the trough. I find it hard to believe that 600 people would want to sit watching this let alone 6000, but what do I know I am only a tax payer in all this. They are being really extravagant with our money aren't they. Its funny though when you read about some of the private building work that is going on in this country. Some of these schemes are on a similar scale or on a little smaller than the Olympics but the cost is a tiny fraction of the what we are being conned out of. Lets sell what we have already built to the French (they wanted the Olympics) and even let them hold it over here, but they can call it the 2012 French Olympics.
Even a BBC poll I saw the other day said that 6 out of 10 Londoners are not keen on the Olympics and the BBC is a big supporter of the Olympics.
- Dr Finlays Casebook, London, UK
At least cycling's something we're good at!
- Lordy, London
Excuse me for asking but where exactly is all this extra money coming from to pay for ALL this incompetent 2012 Olympic budgeting?
Hopefully it will be Lord Coe, Tessa Jowell & Co who will be "dipping into their own pockets" having, apparently, carefully planned this fiasco!
- Fraser, Telford Park
Like they didn't know...
- Sarah, London
