APPENDIX 23
Letter from Mr Michael Cunnah, Wembley
National Stadium Limited
1. I am writing in reference to the Culture, Media
and Sport Committee inquiry into the merits and prospects of a
bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
2. The new Wembley National Stadium is currently
under construction and on target to open in 2006, as a 90,000seat
stadium. When it is completed, we believe it will be the best
stadium in the world, offering fans, participants, officials and
broadcasters unparalleled facilities.
3. I understand that the British Olympic Association
is proposing the construction of a venue in East London for the
Olympics, but I would like to reiterate that Wembley would be
available for whatever uses were deemed appropriate—whether
as a secondary venue or as the centrepiece stadium as per our
obligations under the terms of our funding agreement with Sport
England.
4. Though designed primarily for football, Wembley
can be configured for athletics by means of a temporary platform
solution, which has also been adopted by New York City, for its
Olympic Bid. The IOC defer to the IAAF with regard to all technical
matters relating to a stadium's suitability for athletics and
the IAAF reendorsed the Wembley design as recently as March
2002. It has also been approved by UK Athletics and Sport England
following a detailed technical review in the first half of 2002.
5. We have correspondence from the IOC (dated 9 July
1998) confirming that there are no specific rules regarding the
minimum capacity of an Olympic Stadium and that 65,000 would be
an appropriate amount. Wembley's capacity for athletics events
is 68,400—a figure that could be increased to more than
70,000 by the addition of temporary seating.
6. If a bid for the Olympics is mounted, it would
be extremely beneficial for London's case that the city will boast
a truly worldclass venue already under construction and
near completion by the time of an IOC inspection visit.
7. If you would like copies of any relevant correspondence,
or would like to ask me any further questions, please do not hesitate
to ask. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend an
invitation to the Committee to visit the site at any time for
a guided tour of the site, which is currently in the demolition
phase. More information is also available from www.WembleyStadium.com
10 January 2003
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