The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has been granted planning permission for Paralympic venue Eton Manor, which will host Wheelchair Tennis in 2012.
Eton Manor will also be where Olympic and Paralympic swimmers will train for events. In legacy the venue will be transformed into a hockey and tennis centre.
You can download new images of Eton Manor here:
http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr129795835 During the Olympic Games, Eton Manor will house three 50m swimming pools, one synchronised swimming pool and one water polo pool that will be used during the Games for training. During the Paralympic Games, Eton Manor will host Wheelchair Tennis.
In legacy, the sports and leisure facilities at Eton Manor will be owned, operated and funded by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA), which has vast experience of providing sporting and recreational venues for the region.
The venue has been designed with legacy at the forefront of the ODA’s plans, which means the facilities can be easily transformed after the Games. The permanent elements at Eton Manor will include a hockey centre with two competition pitches, a tennis centre with four indoor and six outdoor courts and five-a-side football pitches. The mountain bike trails forming part of the VeloPark, will also extend onto Eton Manor. This will create a wide of mix of sporting facilities for the local and regional community as well as elite athletes.
ODA Chairman John Armitt said: 'Eton Manor is steeped in sporting history. In the early 1900s it was a community sport sporting facility and later it became Eton Manor Boys’ Club and the Old Boys’ Club, and it quickly gained a reputation as an elite sporting association.
'We will be strengthening this sporting legacy and bringing it into the 21st Century by providing a unique mix of sports facilities for athletes and the local community.'
Shaun Dawson, Chief Executive of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority said: 'Eton Manor will be another outstanding venue for the people of London, the region and the whole country which Lee Valley Regional Park Authority will own, fund and manage in legacy, along with the VeloPark and the White Water Canoe Centre just north of the M25.
'We’ll ensure Eton Manor’s superb sports venues are used by a variety of target groups with extensive community use, outreach and sports development programmes. It will join the other regional sports venues the Authority owns to create a chain of sporting excellence along the 26 mile long Lee Valley Regional Park.'
Chris Holmes, Director of Paralympic Integration at the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: 'This is excellent news and I look forward to seeing this Paralympic venue taking shape. It is an important venue showcasing one of the top Paralympic sports – Wheelchair Tennis, and it will be a great multi-sport venue after the Games leaving a sporting legacy for the community.'
Jayant Mistry, former Wheelchair Tennis player said: 'Eton Manor is a very important venue as it is the only venue being constructed specifically to host a Paralympic sport. Its location – very close to the Olympic Village – is ideal for boosting participation in Wheelchair Tennis in the run up to 2012 and beyond.
Sue Mappin, Executive Director for the Tennis Foundation said: 'Eton Manor is not only a fantastic facility for the Paralympics Tennis event, where we hope to once again excel, but will also offer a great legacy for the development of community tennis in the east of London, the plans for which are now well advanced, and as a charity we hope to work closely with all five host boroughs and Lea Valley to extend the tennis offer to all ages and abilities after the 2012 Games. '
Sally Munday, Chief Executive of England Hockey said: 'England Hockey has worked really hard with the ODA, LVRPA and other partners over the last three years to ensure that this opportunity to provide a real legacy for hockey from London 2012 will be realised. This venue will provide a fantastic catalyst for developing hockey in the East end of London, giving access to thousand of people who will have not previously played the sport. In addition it will provide a first class competition venue for regional national and international events which Londoners and hockey enthusiasts across the UK will be able to enjoy for years to come.'
'With 1,000 days to the start of the Paralympics in December, Wheelchair Tennis athletes are starting to get very excited about the London 2012 and can’t wait for Eton Manor to get underway.'
Sustainability is at the heart of London 2012 and the construction of the Olympic Park, and at Eton Manor the central facilities building will have a ‘brown’ roof, and the framed construction will be made from prefabricated timber. The design will also explore ways of conserving energy and reducing water consumption, as well as maximising natural light and natural ventilation. The tennis court roof will have 35 bird boxes on for Starlings, Swifts, Redstarts and Sparrows.
Notes to editors:
1. The design team has worked with specialists to ensure the facilities will be accessible and inclusive. During the Games the Wheelchair Tennis courts will provide step-free access for athletes and spectators. After the Games all the sports facilities will be fully accessible. We aim to make the facilities enjoyable to all: competitors, staff, volunteers and spectators, regardless of their age, disability, gender and faith.
2. There will be a variety of ways to get to Eton Manor during the Games: local ‘gateway’ stations Stratford Regional and Stratford International, or by walking or cycling to the Olympic Park. Spectators will also be able to get to Eton Manor from Hackney Marshes using a footbridge over Ruckholt Road. After the Games people can get to the facilities by using a number of local bus services, by walking or using cycle routes. There will also be car parking, including accessible spaces.
3. Start of construction on Eton Manor will be in spring next year, and will be completed by the summer of 2011 for test events.
For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)20 3 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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