Contractor announced for London 2012 canoe slalom venue

Plans for a world-class White Water Canoe Centre for the London 2012 Games and a major sporting and leisure attraction in legacy moved a step closer today as the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced the construction contract for the venue in Broxbourne has been awarded to Morrison Construction.

ODA launches safety workshops in local schools ahead of start of construction work

With construction work set to start on site in June, the ODA has also now started a series of health and safety workshops in local schools to teach children about safety around construction sites.

The White Water Canoe Centre in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire will host the canoe slalom events during the Olympic Games. The venue is due for completion ahead of 2012 and will deliver an early legacy of community use and training facilities for all abilities before the Games. After the Games, the venue will be developed to become a sporting and leisure facility for canoeing and white-water rafting, as well as a major competition venue for elite events. The Centre will be owned, funded and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, who own the site which is part of the River Lee Country Park.

ODA Chairman John Armitt said: 'Securing a leading contractor for Broxbourne is an important step towards delivering first-class facilities for the world’s best athletes in 2012 and leaving the lasting legacy of a major leisure attraction for many years to come. We’re on track to start construction work in the summer and the workshops now underway in local schools will help us get important safety messages out to the local community before building work begins.'

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: 'This is an important stage in the delivery of a facility that will provide a world class venue for Games time and an excellent facility for elite athlete and community usage after the Games, living up to our promise of leaving a lasting legacy for sport. The constructors must now develop a challenging Olympic course and develop a community facility which will provide a new experience for beginners. I look forward to seeing the plans for Broxbourne take shape.'

Shaun Dawson, Chief Executive of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority said: 'This is the only brand new Olympic venue which will open to the public before the Games and will be a world class attraction in Legacy which will appeal to a huge variety of people from London, Essex and Hertfordshire. As well as being a centre for elite canoeists, we will be running sports development programmes, be providing extensive community use plus a first-rate white water rafting experience – all 40 minutes from central London.'

Richard Ellis, chair of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), said: “It is great news that we have progressed this East of England-based project to this key stage. When complete this will be a world-class venue for Olympic competition. It will also be a fantastic canoeing centre for people of all ages and abilities, international-class athletes, amateur sports people and recreational beginners alike, to enjoy for generations to come. EEDA has worked hard and consistently with its partners on this project to ensure that a lasting legacy is secured, the benefits of which will be a major boost for local communities and businesses in the region for years to come.”

Charles Johnston, Sport England’s Property Director, said: 'Broxbourne is unique among the new 2012 venues because it will benefit thousands of community paddlers long before the world’s best athletes arrive. After the Games, the centre will become home to a club offering paddlers, including those with a disability, high quality sporting opportunities from beginner to elite level.'

Paul Owen, British Canoe Union (BCU) Chief Executive, said: 'The announcement of securing a contractor sees the development of a first class white water course, becoming a reality. The permanent, white water facility will provide canoeists and other users an exceptional experience beyond London 2012. Our GB canoe slalom team are certainly eager to get on the course as soon as possible. The course will also provide a lasting and positive impact on the regional economy.'

The Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre will be built on what is currently the overflow car park for the Showground site of the River Lee Country Park, between Waltham Cross and Theobalds Grove stations. The construction of the venue includes:

• Canoe Course Formation – Creation of an Olympic standard 300m course, warm-up course and finish lake
• Land Formation – Placement and compaction of fill to form the course embankments and landscaped features of the venue
• Facility building and Pumping House – Construction of a new facility building, containing reception, café, changing rooms, admin offices, spectator viewing facilities, storage, and water pump/filtration plant
• Landscaping Works – Landscaping works with path and bridge networks throughout the venue to facilitate spectator viewing and access

Construction work is due to start on the Broxbourne site in June. Ahead of the start of construction work, the ODA has now started a health and safety educational programme running workshops in ten primary schools in Hertfordshire and Essex, close to where the Broxbourne construction site will be.

The Health and Safety workshops will use drama to communicate the importance of staying safe when living or going to school near to a construction site. Using storytelling, props and costumes, the actors will give a theatrical performance to groups of around thirty children at a time. The children will then discuss what they have watched and participate in an interactive drama session.

ODA’s Head of Health & Safety Lawrence Waterman said: 'We are determined that the construction activity needed to deliver world-class facilities in Broxbourne will be carried out safely and in consultation with the local community. With construction work in Broxbourne set to start ahead of the school summer holidays, it is important that local children understand the potential dangers of playing near the construction site.'

The construction of the White Water Canoe Centre is due to be completed for Games training and testing in 2010-11 with some public use in 2011. During the Games, temporary seating will be installed around the venue for spectators. After the Games, the spectator seating will be removed, and the venue will be developed into the Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre, creating a major leisure attraction for canoeing and white water rafting as well as a venue for future international competition.

Notes to Editors:

1. Design images of the Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre and images of the school health & safety workshops can be downloaded at http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr122205161

2. The construction of the Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre includes funding from Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and Sport England.

3. The construction contract for the Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre was put out to tender in May 2008 in an open and competitive procurement process

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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.

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