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2012 inspectors visit Bisley shooting centre
Matthew Beard27.11.08
A campaign to have the Olympic shooting venue moved from Woolwich Barracks gained momentum today as it emerged that government-appointed inspectors have agreed to visit an alternative site next week.
Experts from accountancy firm KPMG, commissioned on government orders to review Olympic venues, will conduct a site visit at the national shooting centre in Bisley, Surrey, next week.
KPMG's initial draft report, thought to recommend that the shooting remain at Woolwich Barracks, was criticised as a "whitewash" because inspectors had not done sufficient research into alternative venues as part of their cost-cutting exercise.
The door remains open to an alternative because the cost of Woolwich has spiralled from £30million to £42million and there is no lasting legacy for the sport of shooting after the 2012 Games.
Reader views (5)
British shooters can compete and train for all the Olympic shooting events in this country. The restrictions placed upon prospective Olympic competitors in the pistol events only are far from ideal but they do at least provide a realistic opportunity to qualify.
The shooting organisations have lobbied hard to achieve this, the boycott everything faction have achieved nothing.
- Charlie, Leics, UK
I had better buy shares in KPMG - with all the administration happening in the UK today along with them deciding on the best venues for Olympic. Why? What is Lord Coe doing then?
- Fly, london
This is just idiotic. I must assume that every venue has been considered by these "teams of experts". We are doomed!
- Steve, London
Bisley must not allow the event to be held there, as British sportsmen( and women ) are currently prohibited from competing, or even practicing, in the shooting events. We must have equal rights to the foreign shooters. For that to happen, the government must repeal the 1997 Firearms Acts.
-or withdraw from the olympics.
- Clive Allen, Brighton, UK
So accountants are the best people to judge if the facilities at Bisley are suitable for the Olympic shooting events? Really?
- Patrick Griffin, Dalston, London
