Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence


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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