Worrying developments over the last few days. Following what was initially an anonymous contact though my feedback form which lead to a couple of exchanges of emails and a brief meeting this morning, I was informed of some problems at the new Olympic white water site.

I cant go into details just yet as I need them to come back to me with further information first.

I would love to give you more details but I am stuck between a rock and a hard place until I hear more.

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Watch the offical clip below

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Course structures complete.

Summer 2010

Slalom courses running and facility building complete.

Lake complete and filled.

Autumn 2010

Slalom courses commissioned and external landscaping complete.

Spring 2011

Centre opens to the public.

Summer 2012

Centre closes to the public for olympic games.

Spring 2013

Centre reopens to the public.

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last year there was 150,000 cubic metres of soil required to build up the 5.5m start pull walls, and to build the lake. There is now more then 500 piles now ready for the construction of the building this month.

The lake is due to be completed during the summer of 2010. It is planned to be concrete based with concreted sandbags forming the banks and walls.

The 300m Olympic course is also taking shape alone the western side of the centre. the earthworks are due to finish on the Olympic course early this year ready for concreting and the Olympic course is due to be completed in the summer of 2010.

The 160m intermediate course is also on schedule and earthworks are due to finish in the next few months ready for concreting and completion in the summer of 2010.

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Welcome to this months edition to the construction updates.

Since my last post less then a month ago a lot has happened, as you will see in the pictures in this post that I have tried to take from the same camera position. There is lots of new material, that was not there a few weeks ago.

Four weeks ago it was being counted that at least 10 dumper trucks a hour was entering the site to leave soil and dirt. Now there are reports that this has stopped and the earth works for the new site have finished. This means the site is now well under way of being constructed.

From the look of the progress the New Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre is well on its way and may be opened earlier then expected.

To receive email update from me please go to the Email Update page and fill your details in.

James

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The scheme proposes both elite and intermediate white water canoe, kayak and rafting facilities.  The elite and intermediate levels would each have their own separate course loop and start pool.  Both loops finishing in a substantial lake to the north eastern part of the facility. There will be a two storey, 2100m3 facilities building encompassing changing rooms, admin, equipment storage, cafe and accommodation for the British Canoe Union (BCU) who will use the facility as a HQ.

The white water elite course will have a fall of 5.5 metres, the intermediate course 1.6 metres.  The course itself will be a concrete channel with impermeable liner, the obstacles a combination of natural rock, concrete and moveable plastic units.

Approval was seen as a momentous occasion for Broxbourne by the committee and the positive vote was greeted by spontaneous applause in the council chamber.

The passage of approval had to negotiate several “stoppers”.  Concerns were raised in the chamber by a representative from Essex County Council regarding traffic on some local roads, conditions will be imposed on the planning consent. Concerns were also raised about the lack of car parking for a venue that may well be a venue for national and international events. Approval has the condition that any event to be held at the venue, which will attract more than 500 visitors, will require an Event Management Plan to be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for approval in writing.

Car Parking may certainly be a problem for major events, there being provision for only 119 cars.  Of these 42 will be dedicated to the elite white water canoe centre, 24 public spaces and the remaining 53 spaces will be overflow spaces in grass bays along the access drive. However it was recognised that it would not be financially viable to increase permanent provision on site for situations that will occur infrequently.  The Olympics will only be using the venue for 4 days it was suggested.

Hours of use agreed as part of the consent are:
Monday to Saturday 8am to 11pm
Sundays, Bank and Public Holidays 10am to 8pm

Whilst approval does not mean the centre will operate throughout these times, the floodlighting will mean that it can be used in the evenings.

Locals concerned about disruption during the building phase will note that building hours are limited to 8am to 6pm weekdays and 8am to 1pm Saturday.

Six letters of comment had been received from adjacent owners / occupiers.  Three were in support with three objecting.

The concerns raised were:

• Public access to the marshes would be restricted and the marshes spoilt
• The Lee Valley Regional Park is obsessed with tarmac paths
• The facility would totally change the area
• A right of way would be affected
• Transport links with the area are not good enough for the Olympic visitor numbers
• The course would be unsightly and damaging to the environment
• There would be extra traffic cluttering towns in the Lee Valley
• The green quite areas in Broxbourne would be reduced
• The construction seems very close to Westminster Court, Eleanor Way.

Support welcomed the social and environmental benefits to the Waltham Cross area.  The landscape to be created and the new pedestrian routes, as well as increased visitor numbers to the Regional Park and nearby visitor attractions.

It is estimated that the facility will bring up to £12 million of additional revenue to local businesses per annum.

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The proposed slalom venue would include a 300m course, warm-up course and finish lake.  A new building would contain a reception, café, changing rooms, shop, offices, spectator viewing area, equipment storage and water pump/filtration facilities.  After the 2012 Games, the White Water Canoe Centre would hold regional, national and possibly international events and become a hub for a range of outdoor activities.

The shortlist of contractors to build the White Water Canoe Centre was announced by the ODA in September 2008.  The Centre will be owned and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, which owns the land.

The Borough Council intend that, if approved, the white water canoe centre will be a catalyst for the regeneration of the Waltham Cross area.

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The White Water Centre, which will be the venue for the 2012 London Olympic white water slalom canoe and kayak events has had a troubled start.  The originally planned site at Spitalbrook in Broxbourne was shelved earlier this year when it was found that the land was contaminated.

As a consequence the proposal was to build the White Water centre to the South of Broxbourne.

Concerns have now been raised by Epping Forest councillors about the increased traffic, particularly during the development of the slalom course.

Epping Forest District Council wrote to its Broxbourne counterpart calling for: “No construction traffic using the Crooked Mile, Parklands, Sewardstone Road, or Honey Lane, Waltham Abbey during either the Olympic phase or the Legacy stage of construction.”

Hopefully these objections will not delay the planning permission that is required from being granted. Having already suffered a setback, it is important that planning permission is granted without any hitches so that construction can begin.

The proposed site for the Broxbourne White Water Centre is just a few minutes drive from junction 25 of the M25, most heavy traffic will almost certainly be coming from the M25 and so should avoid Epping Forest.

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