Olympic Legacy: Sculpture or Athletics Track? (Brentwood & Ongar Liberal Democrats)

Brentwood & Ongar Liberal Democrats <info@brentwood-ongarlibdems.org.uk>

Olympic Legacy: Sculpture or Athletics Track?

June 12, 2007 11:29 PM

Lib Dem leader calls for a stadium to be our Olympic legacy

Cllr David Kendall, leader of the Lib Dem Group on Brentwood Borough Council, has called for Brentwood's 2012 Olympic legacy to be the building of an athletics track and possible stadium at the Brentwood Centre.

The idea was seriously considered in the past when the Liberal Democrats controlled the Borough Council but funding was always the major issue. However with the Olympics coming to the London in 2012 and Brentwood hosting the Mountain bike event new funding streams are now becoming available.

Only recently Essex County Council announced that £1m was available for gateway improvements to erect sculptures in celebration of the Olympics at key sites around the County and a significant amount has been earmarked for the Brook Street roundabout entrance to Brentwood.

Speaking about his call for an Athletic Track/Stadium to be built Cllr Kendall said:

"I would personally much prefer to see Council Tax payers' money spent on something that is going to have long term benefits for our community, particularly for the young and the disabled, rather than a sculpture. The Brentwood Centre would be an ideal location for an athletics track and possible stadium and would in my view provide an excellent legacy for our town's involvement in the Olympic games.

Sculpture "The Borough Council seems to be to be more concerned about the benefits the Olympics is going to bring to business rather than the long term benefits it could provide for local people. I would be interested to hear from residents as to what they think about the idea.