The recommendation will now go to the Greater London Authority (GLA) for approval before permission for the applications is granted.

Before the planning application was submitted for the Handball Arena sports users, local people, faith groups, community groups and young people were all consulted on the detailed plans. Their comments were then taken on board when the planning application was made.

Olympic Delivery Authority Chief Executive David Higgins said: 'This takes us a step closer towards a simple, sustainable and flexible Handball Arena that works for Games and legacy. Construction is on track to start this summer on the Arena which will provide a great experience for competitors and spectators during the Games and offer a new facility for local people to enjoy a range of sports in legacy.'

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: 'This is another example of the Games acting as a catalyst for change. This facility will be a high-quality venue at Games-time but also provides a legacy for sport in London and the UK. The fact that Handball will have its own arena at Games-time will be a great boost to the sport in this country, and it will be a much used multi-purpose arena after the Games.'

The Handball Arena will be in the west of the Olympic Park, to the south of the Hockey Centre, within four minutes of the Olympic Village. It will have up to 7,000 seats during the Games, hosting the Handball preliminaries and quarter finals as well as the Modern Pentathlon discipline of Fencing. It will also be the Goalball venue during the Paralympic Games.

In legacy mode after the Games, the Arena will become a multi-sports venue with retractable seating for 6,000 spectators and flexible facilities to hold a range of training and competition events of all levels. It will cater for a wide-range of indoor sports including Basketball, Handball, Badminton, Netball and Volleyball boosting the sporting facilities provided across the Olympic Park.

The Handball Arena, designed by Make Architects with PTW and Arup, features external copper cladding to give it a distinctive appearance that will develop a rich natural colour as it ages. The concourse level features glazing which encircles the building, enabling visitors to the Olympic Park to view sport taking place inside, and illuminating the venue when lit at night. The venue also has a vibrant and multi-coloured interior, with retractable seating to create a flexible space and with 100 light pipes in the ceiling to allow natural light into the venue.

Jules Pipe, elected Mayor of Hackney, said: 'The new multi-sports venue is a major opportunity to develop a world class centre for Hackney residents which is accessible and suitable for a range of community sports as part of the legacy of the 2012 Games. Hackney already has high quality, award-winning sports and leisure centres, and the Council is continuing to invest in these to offer all our residents access to healthier lifestyles through sport and physical activity. We will continue working to ensure that, when London's Olympic and Paralympic Games have gone, the multi-sports Arena will remain as a venue for local people and visitors.'

Design features in the Handball Arena plans include:

– Ends –

Notes to Editors:

1. The Handball Arena designs can be downloaded at: http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr118583075

For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700.

The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.

Find out the latest from London 2012 HQ on our blog.

• Over 3,000 sq m of external copper cladding, mostly recycled, that changes colour and character as it ages
• Over 700 sq m of glazing which encircles the building at concourse level opening up the venue to the Olympic Park and enabling visitors to watch sporting action
• striking multicoloured seating that retracts to enable flexible use of the field of play
• 100 light pipes in the ceiling that draw sunlight into the venue, reducing the demand for electric lights
• rainwater harvesting from the roof for toilet flushing, helping to reduce water use by 40 per cent
• Range of materials selected for long-term durability and performance
• In legacy mode the venue will include a health and fitness club with changing facilities and a café for use by the local community
• In legacy mode, the venue offers a 2,743 sq m field of play hosting sports including: 5-a-side football; Netball; Basketball; Volleyball; Badminton; Table Tennis; Handball; and Futsal
• The venue could also host in legacy: Hockey; Martial arts; Kabaddi; Dodgeball; Wheelchair Basketball; Fencing; Sitting Volleyball; Goalball; Wheelchair Rugby, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Judo and Fencing.