London to host cycling as no time to build velodrome
TRACK cycling for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will take place 130 miles away in London, it has been confirmed.
With no suitable venue in the West Midlands, Games organisers found that a Birmingham velodrome would be too expensive and too difficult to build from scratch in the four-year time frame to 2022.
Cycling is an optional sport for the Games.
But with it being a major medal wait three months to have its victory confirmed.
However, the city;s win has been met with apathy by some who fear for the cost to local authorities.
Cllr Hunt said: “I and my colleagues talked intensively to local residents in Perry Barr and we found opinion equally divided.
“Some were enthusiastic, some were hostile because of the costs and the disruption and many wanted to ensure the Games leave the area with better facilities and better services. The Alexander Stadium is situated on Perry Park which has been neglected in recent decades.
“Indeed, some of the stadium developments have caused anger because of the amount of parkland they have taken up. I hope visitors to winner for Britain and popular attraction among fans they were keen to keep it on the Birmingham 2022 agenda.
So now they will use the Lea Valley Velopark built for the 2012 Olympics in Stratford, east London, and which also hosted last year’s International Cycling Union Track Cycling World Championships.
It is understood that the Birmingham bid organisers looked at our area will be enabled to see the best of our parks – and how green a city Birmingham is.
“Similarly we will press to ensure the legacy of the athletes’ village is a high quality development, perhaps including extra care facilities.
“I hope the local community will be able to work with the council to ensure a great legacy for Perry Barr.”
He added: “The Liberal Democrats support Birmingham. City Council’s position that hosting the games should not draw money from day-today services – which are already struggling – nor should it impact on the council’s ability to deliver good services to its citizens. Indeed, at the outset of this process I led a debate in council which laid down these rules.” using the Derby Arena Velodrome or converting the Genting Arena at the NEC into a temporary track but rejected both in favour of London’s world class facility.
Also confirmed was that shooting, another sport in which England generally excels, does not feature in the Birmingham 2022 list. It is again thought this is because the region lacks a world-class facility and there is little time to build one.
One reason for Birmingham’s success was that the vast majority of venues are already in place, including the Alexander Stadium, University of Birmingham and NEC facilities. The only brand new permanent venue for Birmingham 2022 will be the aquatics centre at Sandwell, although the Alexander Stadium athletics venue will undergo a major upgrade.