2012 Summer Olympic development

The 2012 Summer Olympic development is a process running from 2005 to 2012, following the successful London bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. While many of the plans were included in the bid portfolio, which gained the favour of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the four other bids on 6 July 2005, there were more details released and decisions made afterwards. The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) was created to oversee many of these developments, though such a large-scale event requires the co-operation of many other agencies. These organisations are sometimes integral parts of the London 2012 plans, while others are unrelated but can still have a great effect.

The day after the announcement saw one of the worst terrorist attacks in Britain, as London was struck by four bomb blasts. While the motivation was not linked specifically to the success of the bid it was to have an effect on the development and planning of the event.

Timelines

Since the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia the IOC have developed a "master schedule" to ensure that the planning and development of the Games goes smoothly. Gilbert Felli, the IOC Executive Director for the Olympic Games, explained the master schedule as "a timeline of milestones that need to be met for the Games to be delivered on time." (25 November 2005). " [http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=1563 London 2012: Orientation Seminar Concludes On Positive Note] " at the Official Olympic Games site. Accessed 25 November 2005.] (25 November 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4471376.stm London 2012 handed IOC checklist] " at BBC News. Accessed 25 November 2005.] On 24 January 2006 LOCOG released full details of their plan, based partly on the IOC Master Schedule.

As of early 2005 60% of the venues and facilities were in place. The bid needed to detail the time plan for any further construction work that was required, and the London 2012 team came up with a schedule that would see all the facilities ready by 2011.

Announcements and developments

ports

*27 October 2005: Women's boxing is officially ruled out of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China by the IOC, but Kelly Fairweather, their director of sport, says that it is being considered for the 2012 Games. (27 October 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4382646.stm Women's boxing ruled out for 2008] " at BBC News. Accessed 11 November 2005.]
*11 November 2005: The Scottish Football Association (SFA) rule out the participation of their players in a Great British team in the football events. Players from England and Northern Ireland will compete together in the team, with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) still deciding on their position. The team gained automatic qualification to the competition because the UK is the host nation – as there is no British team competing in the UEFA Under-21 Championships (the qualifying tournament) it is likely to be the only time such a team will compete in the Olympics. The BOA appealed for both the SFA and WFA to reconsider their positions, quoting statistics showing the apparent public support for the team. (11 November 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4426566.stm No Scots for GB Olympic football] " at BBC News. Accessed 11 November 2005.] (11 November 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4428498.stm BOA wants Scots rethink on 2012] " at BBC News. Accessed 11 November 2005.]
*9 February 2006: An appeal against the removal of baseball and softball from London 2012 is rejected by the IOC. (9 February 2006). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4696902.stm Olympic sports fail in appeal bid] " at BBC News. Accessed 16 February 2006.]
*On 15 January 2008, Aldershot Army Base is chosen over Bath and Loughborough universities to be the training camp for the British Olympic team.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7188035.stm|title=Aldershot to host GB Olympic team|accessdate=2008-06-04|date=2008-01-15|work=BBC]

Organisation

*5 October 2005: Lord Moynihan is chosen as the new chairman of the British Olympic Association, beating David Hemery by 28 votes to 15. (5 October 2005). " [http://www.olympics.org.uk/press/pressdetail.asp?boa_press_id=447 Lord Colin Moynihan elected chairman of the BOA] " at the Official Olympic Games site. Accessed 17 October 2005.]
*7 October 2005: The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) has its first board meeting. (7 October 2005). " [http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/london/full_story_uk.asp?id=1503 LONDON 2012: LOCOG Formally Established] " at the Official Olympic Games site. Accessed 13 November 2005.]
*1 November 2005: Mike Lee, a communications director and advisor for the London 2012, resigns from his role and is replaced by Jackie Brock-Doyle. (1 November 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4395792.stm London bid media chief moves on] " at BBC News. Accessed 4 November 2005.]
*18 November 2005: Jack Lemley is appointed chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). (18 November 2005). " [http://www.london2012.org/en/news/archive/2005/November/2005-11-18-12-14.htm Coe welcomes top ODA appointment] " at London 2012 official site. Accessed 20 November 2005.]
*22 November 2005: David Higgins is appointed Chief Executive of the ODA. (22 November 2005). " [http://www.london2012.com/en/news/archive/2005/November/2005-11-22-13-03.htm Coe welcomes latest Olympic Delivery Authority appointment] " at London 2012 official site. Accessed 23 November 2005.]
*19 December 2005: Paul Deighton resigns his role as Chief Operating Officer at Goldman Sachs to take over from Keith Mills as the Chief Executive of LOCOG. Mills retains his position of vice-chairman. http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=405826&in_page_id=2 £100m banker is Olympics CEO] " at Evening Standard. Accessed 19 December 2005.]
*11 January 2006: LOCOG and the ODA move into new premises in Canary Wharf, co-locating in order to improve their communications. (11 January 2006). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4602048.stm 2012 Games organisers co-locate] " at BBC News. Accessed 16 January 2006.]
*17 October 2006: Legacy Trust UK announced as new body to fund legacy cultural and sporting projects
*18 October 2006: Jack Lemley resigns as chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). [http://sport.independent.co.uk/olympics/article1902188.ece]
*July 2007: Tessa Jowell appointed Minister for the Olympics, Paralympics and London, and Paymaster General
*July 2007: Jeremy Beeton appointed Director General, Government Olympic Executive
*1 August 2007: John Armitt takes up post as chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).

Venues and infrastructure

Some plans for 2012 Summer Olympics venues have had to change since the bid was developed.
*12 October 2005: London Mayor Ken Livingstone announces that some venues may need to change based on the security issues raised by the 7 July 2005 terrorist attacks. (12 October 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4335216.stm Mayor warns of 2012 venues change] " at BBC News. Accessed 17 October 2005.]
*20 October 2005: Tottenham Hotspur F.C. are told that they will not take over the Olympic Stadium after the Games finish as it will be used as an athletics venue. (20 October 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4360544.stm Spurs Olympic Stadium plan dashed] " at BBC News. Accessed 27 October 2005.]
*4 November 2005: The London Development Agency (LDA) gives a compulsory purchase order to London and Continental Railways (LCR) for land required for the Olympic Park, not giving negotiations enough time to reach a settlement. (4 November 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4408396.stm Olympic Park land row rumbles on] " at BBC News. Accessed 4 November 2005.]
*4 November 2005: ConstructionSkills, placed in charge of ensuring that there are enough construction workers, predicts a serious shortage of labourers. (10 November 2005). " [http://english.people.com.cn/200511/04/eng20051104_218961.html London short of skill labor for 2012 Olympics construction] " at People's Daily Online. Accessed 11 November 2005.]
*10 November 2005: Airport operator BAA announces plans to rebuild one of its terminals as part of the transportation arrangements for the Olympics – it hopes to have planning permission approved in 2008 and to begin construction the following year. (10 November 2005). " [http://www.airportbusiness.com/article/article.jsp?id=4191&siteSection=4 Airport Operator Proposes Demolishing Heathrow Terminal, Rebuilding for 2012 Olympics] " at Airport Business. Accessed 11 November 2005.]
*15 November 2005: The LDA and LCR complete their negotiations for land and infrastructure at the Stratford City development. (15 November 2005). " [http://www.lda.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1325 Joint statement from London Development Agency and London and Continental Railways] " at LDA.gov.uk. Accessed 15 November 2005.]
*1 December 2005: Architect Zaha Hadid is ordered to revise her designs for the Aquatics Centre after a specification change leads to a doubling of the £75 million estimated cost. (1 December 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4488368.stm Olympic pool plans to be revised] " at BBC News. Accessed 1 December 2005.]
*6 December 2005: The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) extension is officially opened, connecting the London City Airport to the London Underground at Canning Town as well as providing a direct line to Canary Wharf and Central London. (6 December 2005). " [http://www.london2012.com/en/news/archive/2005/December/2005-12-06-13-01.htm DLR extension boosts 2012 transport] " at London 2012 official site. Accessed 13 December 2005.]
*19 January 2006: An investigation by the Thames tideway strategy group suggests that sewage could overflow from the River Lee unless £1.7 billion is spent to upgrade convert|22|mi|km of sewers. Weaver, Matt (19 January 2006). " [http://society.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1690336,00.html Sewage overflows threaten London Olympics ] " at The Guardian. Accessed 19 January 2006.]
*9 February 2006: In an interview with BBC Radio Five Live, Lord Coe says that comparisons between the Olympic venue development is not comparable to that of the delayed Wembley Stadium (9 February 2006). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4696426.stm Coe confident of Olympic planning] " at BBC News. Accessed 16 February 2006.]
*In October 2006, ODA chairman Jack Lemley resigned over political delays to development. Lemley claimed that in the 15 months since London won the Games, no remediation work has begun on the convert|757|acre|km2|sing=on site in east London. He accused the organisers of failing to move quickly enough to tackle a threat posed by German bombs buried on the Olympic site, among contaminants also thought to include low-level radioactive waste and poisonous metals (5 November, 2006). [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-2437984,00.html] Sunday Times. Accessed 5 November, 2006.]
*On 22 May 2008, construction began on the Olympic Stadium, three months ahead of its original August start date, due to the quicker than expected clearing of the Lea Valley site.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7414112.stm|title=Olympic stadium work starts early|accessdate=2008-06-04|date=2008-05-22|work=BBC]
*On 27 May 2008, the IOC completed a three day visit to London to assess the progress of the development.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/london_2012/7409734.stm|title=IOC pleased with London progress|accessdate=2008-06-04|date=2008-05-22|work=BBC] The Committee was pleased with London's Olympic preparations, awarding the capital a score of 9.75 out of 10. IOC co-ordination commission chairman Denis Oswald stated: "From what we have seen, we are very confident we will have excellent facilities for the Games."

Financing

The bid team believed that London could end the Games with a surplus of more than £100 million.

The British Government plans to spend £800 million on infrastructure improvements on the Lower Lea Valley. This is not included in the Olympic budget. The total cost of public transport costs relevant to the Games is estimated at £7 billion, but most of these projects would probably have happened in any case, though much later.

In order to protect sources of licensing income, the phrase "London 2012" has been registered as a trade mark in addition to existing protection for the Olympic symbol and name. Further protective measures are proposed in forthcoming legislation, some of which have been seen as controversial. Trading Standards officers in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets have already seized unauthorised products.

*28 July 2005: The "Go For Gold" National Lottery scratch card game is launched.
*21 September 2005: The "Go For Gold" game is announced to have raised £2 million. (21 September 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4267748.stm £2m Lotto boost for Olympics 2012] " at BBC News. Accessed 17 October 2005.]
*25 October 2005: Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell announces that she cannot guarantee that there will be a cap on the amount that London council taxpayers will have to contribute towards the Games, but reiterates that the budget had been carefully planned. (25 October 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4375328.stm Warning over cost of 2012 Games] " at BBC News. Accessed 27 October 2005.]
*22 November 2005: Lord Coe attempts to reassure the London public, denying reports of a massive increase in the cost to host the Olympics. (22 November 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4459646.stm Coe confident over Olympic costs] " at BBC News. Accessed 23 November 2005.]
*20 December 2005: Jacques Rogge, the IOC president, announces his support for the BOA's request for additional funding – they have asked the Treasury for an additional £100 million a year. (20 December 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4545890.stm IOC chief backs funding increase] " at BBC News. Accessed 20 December 2005.]
*1 February 2006: Seven months after the bid victory the lottery has raised £7 million for the events. (1 February 2006). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4669420.stm Lottery raises £7m for Olympics ] " at BBC News. Accessed 16 February 2006.]
*On 15 January 2008, British Members of Parliament vote overwhelmingly to extract £1.1 billion of National Lottery funds to pay for the Olympics.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7188957.stm|title=MPs back Olympic funds transfer|accessdate=2008-06-04|date=2008-01-15|work=BBC]
*On 5 February 2008, British Airways becomes the fourth official sponsor for the games, alongside bank Lloyds TSB, energy company EDF Energy and sportswear manufacturer Adidas.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7228007.stm|title=BA to sponsor London 2012 Games|accessdate=2008-06-04|date=2008-02-05|work=BBC]

Ticketing

*18 October 2005: Lord Coe, the chairman of the London organising committee, announces that half of the eight million tickets on sale will be priced at £20 or less. (18 October 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4354072.stm Coe makes pledges on 2012 tickets] " at BBC News. Accessed 19 October 2005.]

Tourism

*3 November 2005: Keith Mills, the Deputy Chairman of LOCOG, speaks at the Annual General Meeting of Visit London and states that the Games could be worth £2 billion to London's visitor economy. (3 November 2005). " [http://www.london2012.com/en/news/archive/2005/November/2005-11-03-15-17.htm £2 billion tourism benefit from Games] " at London 2012 official site. Accessed 4 November 2005.]
*Prime Minister Tony Blair and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell meet with Lord Coe and the leaders of major tourism and leisure groups, telling them that quick action could lead to a 25% growth in tourism. (15 November 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4438618.stm 'Time to raise Olympic billions'] " at BBC News. Accessed 15 November 2005.]

Events and visits

*1 September 2005: Thousands of people gather in Trafalgar Square to celebrate the Olympic win. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4198088.stm Crowd hails 2012 Olympic victory] " at BBC News. Accessed 17 October 2005.]
*12 October 2005: Queen Elizabeth II visits the site of the Olympic Park and expresses how she thinks that it is "exciting" and "fascinating". (12 October 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4333378.stm Queen sees 'exciting' Games site] " at BBC News. Accessed 11 November 2005.]
*31 October 2005: Over 200 of the organisers of the London 2012 bid attend a celebratory party at Downing Street. (31 October 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4394690.stm Party celebrates 2012 Olympic win] " at BBC News. Accessed 4 November 2005.]
*8 November 2005: Visiting London as part of a Presidential State Visit, Chinese business delegates meet with the London organising committee, highlighting the similarities between the London and Beijing games. Tony Blair says that the events will help "create a bond between the two Olympic cities and our two countries". (8 November 2005). " [http://english.people.com.cn/200511/08/eng20051108_219632.html Chinese business leaders inspect London 2012 Olympic park site] " at People's Daily Online. Accessed 11 November 2005.]
*24 November 2005: A delegation from the IOC arrives to check on progress and offer planning advice. (23 November 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4464444.stm London prepares for IOC check-up] " at BBC News. Accessed 23 November 2005.]

Awards and recognition

*8 November 2005: Various aspects of the bid win awards for business and technology (8 November 2005). " [http://london2012.org/en/news/archive/2005/November/2005-11-08-13-20.htm More plaudits for London 2012] " at the London 2012 official site. Accessed 11 November 2005.] :
**The London 2012 logo wins the "Best International Brand" award at the 2005 International Business Awards
**The British Association of Communicators in Business (CIB) names the bid team "Communicators of the Year"
**The research team wins "Research Client of the Year" at the Market Research Society "Excellence & Effectiveness Awards"
**The London 2012 web site is recognised for its search engine optimisation programme.
*9 November 2005: "Accountancy Age" readers vote Neil Wood "Personality of the Year 2005" for his work as financial director for the London 2012 bid and as LOCOG financial director. (9 November 2005). " [http://www.accountancyage.com/accountancyage/features/2145814/awards-2005-personality-neil-wood Awards 2005: personality of the year - Neil Wood] at Accountancy Age. Accessed 13 November 2005.]
*16 November 2005: Lord Coe is awarded the Walpole Medal of Excellence by The Walpole Group, and Keith Mills is named as "Business Leader of the Year" in the 2005 London Business Awards. (16 November 2005). " [http://www.london2012.com/en/news/archive/2005/November/2005-11-16-10-50.htm Bid leaders recognised] at London 2012 official site. Accessed 17 November 2005.]
*12 December 2005: Lord Coe is given a special award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony for his role in the bid. (11 December 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4519100.stm Coe picks up surprise BBC award] " at BBC News. Accessed 12 December 2005.]
*31 December 2005: In the New Year's honours list numerous members of the bidding team are given recognition and join The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (31 December 2005). " [http://www.london2012.com/en/news/archive/2005/December/2005-12-31-14-40.htm London 2012 team honoured in New Year list] at London 2012 official site. Accessed 2 January 2006.] :
**Lord Coe becomes a Knight Commander (KBE), and Keith Mills and former BOA chairman Craig Reedie are given knighthoods
**CBEs:
***Simon Clegg, BOA Chief Executive
***Dick Palmer, Technical Director
**OBEs:
***Mike Power, London 2012 CEO
***Mike Lee, Communications director
***Catharina Reynolds from the Olympic Games Unit at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
**MBEs:
***David Magliano, Director of Marketing
***Jon Armstrong, Co-ordinator of the Nations & Regions Group
***Ayesha Qureshi, Community Affairs Manager
***Richard Sumray, Chairman of the London Forum
***Neil Wood, Financial Director
***Patricia Hindley of the DCMS

Opinions and comments

*19 August 2005: There are calls to relax firearms laws which prevent British pistol shooters training. Fraser, Andrew (19 August 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4162498.stm Shooters seek handgun law change] " at BBC News. Accessed 17 October 2005.]
*17 October 2005: Lord Redesdale requests that morris dancing is represented in the opening ceremony. Parkinson, Justin (17 October 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4349088.stm Morris dancing for the Olympics?] " at BBC News. Accessed 17 October 2005.]
*17 October 2005: Peter Keen, in charge of planning for British success at the Olympics, expresses his concerns that the "fourth place in the medals table" target is not achievable without a significant increase in funding. (17 October 2005) " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4349922.stm Keen calls for more elite coaches] " at BBC News. Accessed 17 October 2005.]
*30 November 2005: A survey conducted by the Association of London Government's (ALG) shows that 68% of Londoners (78% in the 18–34 age group) believe that the Games will have long-term benefits for people living in London. (30 November 2005) " [http://www.london2012.com/en/news/archive/2005/November/2005-11-30-11-52.htm Public support still strong for London 2012] " at London 2012 official site. Accessed 1 December 2005.]
*23 January 2007: Andrew Culf opines reasons for optimism for successful games outweigh reasons for worry (23 January 2007) " [http://sport.guardian.co.uk/london2012/story/0,,1996424,00.html It's 2,012 days until 2012] " The Guardian. Accessed 29 August 2007.]

ee also

*London Olympics
*List of Olympic size swimming pools in the United Kingdom

References

External links

* [http://london2012.org London2012.org] – the official London 2012 site
* [http://www.olympics.org.uk Olympics.org.uk] – the official British Olympic Association site
* [http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=1793 IOC assessment of current progress] (21 April 2006)
* [http://planning.london2012.com/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=JD3JF2SZL0000 ODA Planning Applications] - Public access site for ODA planning applications. (click on associated documents tab for access to detailed pdfs)