RESPONSE TO THE ‘STANDARD LETTER’ THAT MPs ARE RECEIVING WHEN THEY CHALLENGE THE OLYMPIC DELIVERY AUTHORITY (ODA) ON HAVING THE 2012 SHOOTING EVENTS AT WOOLWICH
Those of you who have made the effort to contact your MP will know that they will have had a ’standard reply’ from the ODA that is at best economical with the truth and at worst downright lies. The following in italics are the responses of the ODA and in red are a statement of the facts from the NRA. Please go back to your MP and get them to challenge the ODA for further clarification.
Albie Fox
“None of the existing ranges at Bisley are suitable for Olympic and Paralympic competition so new ranges would need to be built.”
This is correct because the ranges built for the Commonwealth Games were not built to the standard or scale required for the Olympic Games, largely due to funding restrictions. The original budget for the ranges was £10 million plus but it was cut to £6.3 million giving the facilities that we see today. As for the Olympic venue we have had a full development team look at the requirements and the build costs at Bisley. The build for Bisley is £28-30 million.
“A limited long term use has not been identified for these new ranges.”
This is a lie. The Army and British shooting did a presentation to the ODA and LOCOG on 16th February 2009 that showed how we intended to use the Olympic Ranges for military marksmanship use, GB, England and Paralympic training as well as normal commercial use, which would have made them the most commercially efficient ranges in the UK.
“Additional accommodation would be required for athletes and officials.”
Again this is incorrect. There were three proposals on the table to use Surrey University, that has developed sports facilities and accommodation to Olympic standard, so there would be no build cost. We also identified Holloway College as an option (as it is already an Olympic Village) where they have planning to build 600 new beds to Olympic standard which would have accommodated the shooters. Thirdly we offered to build a village at Bisley to sell or lease the house on commercially post event.
“Land ownership is complex and separate exclusivity agreements would have had to be made with all the separate shooting bodies. These were not guaranteed.”
This is incorrect we proposed to develop a piece of land between Bisley and Pirbright owned by the MoD. This would have provided a stand alone facility effecting only 4 leaseholders all of whom had agreed to accommodate the Games. The MoD land would have been held on a 125 year lease by the NRA as an extension to its current lease as agreed with Defence Estates.
“The site lies within a greenbelt area adjacent to housing and is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).”
Correct but it is an existing range complex accommodating multiple range complexes for both civilian and military shooting. It is secure and safe when compared with Woolwich.
“There are significant risks given the very sensitive nature of the site and planning permission is not guaranteed.
There were challenges to develop the land in question but we were working in partnership with Natural England (who indicated that by undertaking certain procedures and land maintenance elsewhere on the Bisley site permissions should not have been a problem), Guildford and Surrey Heath Councils, South East England Development Agency and Surrey Council. If the ODA and LOCOG had committed to the project it would have been delivered in time.
The Bisley site would not be ready until at least January 2012 making it the last venue to be completed.”
The date of January 2012 was given because that was the date the ODA gave us for completion. The project could have delivered in the third quarter of 2011.
“The reputational risks associated with this are significant.”
It was more likely that Bisley could have been developed with ODA support that the current proposal at Woolwich which still has scale, security and safety problems. They are currently deliberately misleading local people at Woolwich regarding road closures and restricted access to the local A & E hospital which will require them to set up triage points around the site
“There is also huge pressure from the IOC and the broadcasters to keep as many venues as possible in London and create a ‘compact’ Games.”
The placing of a shooting venue in a urban area was not a sensible decision, that is why the NRA moved from Wimbledon in the late 19th Century. As for the excuses regarding the IOC, at Athens the IOC allowed the organisers to move 65% of the venues.
“Building ranges at Bisley will cost more.”
The range modification costs of Bisley at £30m were done by the same company that has costed other 2012 Olympic venues. Yet it is the only venue that the ODA is challenging. WHY?
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