We will also have to apply for planning permission for any operational buildings we require, such as bus depots. So I am having a busy year!
Some applications are very detailed, while some might be relatively straightforward and relate to parking arrangements. The first application we submitted was for work to convert Greenwich Park into an Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon venue. The application was a 3,000-page document with lots of technical details on subjects such as the different surfaces required to build the temporary arena, and our plans for protecting the grass. Planning permission was granted by Greenwich Council in late March.
We have also been granted permission for work to be done at the North Greenwich Arena (formally known as the Dome) to turn it into our Artistic Gymnastics and Basketball venue. And the Olympic Delivery Authority got the thumbs up to do the work required to turn the Royal Artillery Barracks into our Shooting venue.
We have submitted our planning application for Earls Court as our Volleyball venue, and for ExCeL. ExCeL is our biggest venue outside the Olympic Park, hosting seven Olympic sports and six Paralympic sports. We recently submitted our planning application for Lord's as our Archery venue, and this will soon be followed by Eton Dorney as the Rowing and Canoe Sprint venue, Horse Guards Parade as our Beach Volleyball venue and Wimbledon – an obvious choice for Tennis!
Although planning permission for development of the Olympic Park was granted some time ago, we will also need permissions for the Games-time overlay at all the venues there. We will be seeking these towards the end of 2010 and moving into 2011.
We will hold a public consultation process for all these applications. It's really important to do what's right for the local community – the people who are excited to have the Games right on their doorstep. In some cases, this has caused us to adapt our plans slightly and take on board comments. We will work closely with all venue owners throughout this consultation process and I look forward to collaborating with you all.
