Construction gears up for Olympics

Construction gearing up for new wave of development following Olympics decision

The decision to stage the 2012 Olympic Games in London is likely unleash a massive wave of new development far beyond the infrastructure planned for the Games themselves.

Taken together with the huge expenditure already committed for creation of sustainable communities and the spread of affordable housing, the United Kingdom construction industry seems assured of abundant workload for many years to come.

The initial response of CIOB to the International Olympic Committee's decision in Singapore was that the East London developments will give the industry 'the perfect arena to showcase it quality, innovation and professionalism'.

Counter to the concern expressed in some quarters about the pressure that the London and South East construction boom will exert on the industry's labour force, CIOB believes that, just as the initial plans and designs for the Olympic Games facilities have enthused the world's sporting leaders, the Olympic Delivery project now being put in hand will inspire many more young people to take up a career within the built environment.

The work in hand is already substantial.

Approval for the 500 acre (200 hectare) Olympic Park together with funding has been granted by the City of London Corporation and the four London boroughs concerned.

About three quarters of the site is already in public hands and the London 2012 group that made the successful submission is confident that negotiations for acquisition of the remainder of the land will be amicably completed within the next few weeks.

The centrepiece will be the Olympic Stadium with capacity to seat 80,000 which though smaller than the 2000 Sydney Olympic stadium has the great advantage of better transport links among which will be the Channel Tunnel Rail Link giving access to the Olympic Park within seven minutes from St Pancras.

Transport for London has recently placed a GBP250 million order for the Olympic Javelin trains to provide this service.

Another major rail development is in hand with contracts worth GBP500 million for extension of the East London line.

Robert Kiley, London's Transport Commissioner, has said that over GBP17 billion will be spent on improving London's transport by 2012.

He has given an assurance that the athletes, the Olympic family and spectators alike will get to every venue on time every day of the Games.

Incorporated within this is a GBP10 billion five year investment programme in the capital's infrastructure.

By the time the Games open, the Olympic Park will be served by no fewer than ten railway lines.

The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has promised a further GBP10 million annually as a contribution to the upkeep of the sporting venues in the Olympic Park when the Games are over.

This includes guarantee to convert the main stadium into a 25,000 seat multi-purpose sports venue with athletics at its core.

He has warned however that GBP10 million is the absolute upper limit of the Greater London Authority's projections and anticipates that a substantial proportion of these costs will be met by private finance.

Construction of the Velodrome, the Athletics Stadium and the Aquatics Centre were due to go ahead regardless of whether London won the nomination for the 2012 Games.

Each of these facilities is expected to generate income in its own right.

They will be used to host major international sporting competitions as well as by residents of London and South East England.

The Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, greeted the decision to locate the 2012 Games in London as a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform sport across the country and to continue the regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley in East London.

"The Olympics development programme", he said, "will integrate with the regeneration work continuing in the Thames Gateway to ensure that we not only create an event, but a long-term set of leisure facilities, homes, jobs and thriving communities".

"This will establish the Gateway not only as a pre-eminent location nationally for sport but a place where people want to live and work, now and in future generations".

The acceleration of investment in London and the South East is being matched by the Northern Way growth project which is described by Government sources as a GBP100 million endeavour to kick-start economic rebirth in the North of England.

This is to be managed by three regional development agencies over the next three years.

Among the aims of this scheme will be creation of centres of excellence in leadership, innovation and skills in a number of Northern cities and meeting the skills needs of employers.

Similar facilities will be needed in London and the South East, especially if the stunning new buildings forming the Olympic Park and all the development that flows from that are to attract a new wave of recruits to the construction industry.

Speaking from Beijing, Michael Brown, CIOB deputy chief executive, said the decision for London gave the United Kingdom construction industry the perfect opportunity to showcase its quality and produce an inspirational platform for the athletes and spectators taking part in the 2012 Olympics, and leave behind a legacy that will improve the lives of people not only in London but up and down the country.

"There will be two kinds of stars at the 2012 Olympics" he said, "those from the sporting side, and those who build the dream".

"If we can harness the imagination that the Olympics create, then we have an excellent chance of recruiting new entrants to the industry.".

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