APPENDIX 6
Letter from the Chief Executive of UK
Sport
Thank you for the opportunity to provide evidence
to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee in connection
with its inquiry into the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium.
It is my intention to keep these remarks brief
because UK Sport has played only a minor role in the redevelopment
project. However, I am sure the Committee will understand UK Sport's
keen interest in the issue, which emanates from its Royal Charter
responsibility to enhance the ability of the United Kingdom to
compete for, and successfully stage, major international sports
events. The Committee will be aware that the existence of a "national"
stadium—which, until recently, Wembley was intended to become—is
an important pre-condition for being able to attract to the United
Kingdom such high-profile events such as the World Athletics Championships
and, ultimately, the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Essentially, UK Sport's direct involvement in
the Wembley project began in September/October 1999 shortly after
the emergence of serious concerns about the ability of the re-designed
stadium to accommodate an athletics track and spectator seating
of the order needed for an Olympic Games. On 19 October 1999,
and at the behest of the Sports Minister, Kate Hoey MP, I attended
a meeting of all interested parties held at the offices of Sport
England. In the course of this meeting, I was asked by the Sports
Minister, in my capacity as Chief Executive of UK Sport, to commission
an independent report on a number of design issues. The brief
for this commission focused on a number of key questions (see
my letter of 22 October 1999) which I circulated in draft to all
relevant parties and which were subsequently agreed without amendment.
Four companies were considered to review the Wembley project,
UK Sport ultimately deciding to engage the architects, Ellerbe
Becket, who had been recommended by Wembley National Stadium Ltd
(WNSL) but was agreed by the BOA, WNSL and Sport England.
It took Ellerbe Becket three weeks to conclude
the review and produce a report. Their assessment was principally
based on drawings provided by WNSL as the most current available
and discussions with the design team, the specific content of
which remain confidential and was not disclosed in the report.
The report was delivered to me personally in draft form on 23
November 1999. After discussing with my Chairman, Sir Rodney Walker,
he advised me to contact the Minister for Sport who instructed
me not to take it to any of the parties concerned until Ministers
were in a position to consider its findings and deliver their
judgment. Ultimately, the Secretary of State revealed the outcome
of the review at a meeting in his office on 1 December 1999, whereupon
WNSL and Sport England were given two weeks in which to respond
to the concerns identified by Ellerbe Becket in the report. UK
Sport endeavoured to maintain a neutral position during the subsequent
debate and has chosen to comment neither on the merits or otherwise
of the original design nor the provenance of the Ellerbe Becket
criticisms.
Naturally, UK Sport shares the sporting community's
general disappointment that the opportunity to develop a national
stadium at Wembley has been lost, and that the episode has highlighted
once more the divisive and ineffectual side of sports administration
in the UK. Naturally, too, we hope that sporting bodies—and
the Government—can learn from the Wembley experience and
find practical facility solutions which will keep the UK on track
to win bids for the World Athletics Championships, the Olympics
and other events.
UK Sport remains committed, in so far as our
remit allows, to work with key partners in these respects and
to offer advice, support, expert knowledge about comparable systems
and experience overseas, and so on. We do not, though, currently
have the capacity or the power to make a financial contrbution
to major capital developments as our annual Lottery allocation
of around £21 million is dedicated entirely to the "World
Class" revenue programmes. For the moment, it is the Home
Country Sports Councils who remain distributors of Lottery funding
for capital projects, even though—as in the case of Wembley—those
projects might have a British or UK dimension, as well as an individual
Home Country dimension.
I hope that this submission assists the Committee
in its deliberations. Please let me know if you would like any
additional information.
January 2000
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