Organizers of London's 2012 Olympics on Tuesday submitted their
master plan for building new sporting venues, roads and parks for
the Games.
The Olympic Delivery Authority's 10,000-page document also
includes details of how the facilities in east London will be
changed for use after the event.
"This is one of the biggest and most complex planning
applications ever prepared in this country and is another key
milestone for us on the road to 2012," said Lord Coe, chairman of
the London 2012 organizing committee.
There are two main parts of the application: the first is
concerned with preparing the 246 hectare (2.5 sq km) site and the
second with construction projects for the Olympics and the
post-Games legacy for east London.
The application includes plans to construct five permanent
sporting venues: the Olympic stadium, aquatics centre, velo park,
handball arena and Eton Manor -- and three other temporary
venues.
Changes to the plans include moving the international broadcast
center and main press centre within the Olympic Park boundary and
better integration of the Olympic village with the adjacent
Stratford City regeneration development.
Plans also include homes -- of which 50 percent are set to be
affordable housing -- and office space.
The application will be considered by a committee including
representatives from all London boroughs affected by the plans. The
ODA expects a final decision by late summer.
London 2012 bosses are expected to reveal shortly exactly what
will happen to the Olympic stadium after the Paralympics Games end
in September 2012.
Premier League football club West Ham and third division Leyton
Orient have been in talks with the organizing committee to take
over stadium in 2013.
Plans are for the 80,000-seater stadium to be reconfigured to a
25,000-seater, a scenario that would not suit Premier League
clubs.
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(Xinhua News Agency February 8, 2007)