Banks said: “The British Olympic Association is kidding itself if it thinks the Picketts Lock venue is suitable for the Olympics. You have only got to look at the Sydney coverage and its stadium and surrounding complex to realise Picketts Lock as a venue is a joke.”
Banks continued: “The only venue suitable for an Olympic bid is Wembley. For various reasons that got blown out of the water. The British Olympic Association thinks because it has got a different sports minister it can make Picketts Lock work, but everyone knows it is unsatisfactory.
“If an Olympic bid comes to nothing, what are you left with? Who is going to use a 50 000-seat stadium designed purely for athletics?”
Last week, sports minister Kate Hoey also appeared to pour cold water on the scheme. Hoey reportedly told Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee, that the National Stadium at Wembley could be reconsidered as an athletics venue, although this was denied by culture secretary Chris Smith.
Banks’ broadside came as six teams were shortlisted to design the Picketts Lock stadium. It is understood that front-runners to make the list includes Burland TM, Arup Associates, Wilkinson Eyre, HOK+Lobb, Building Design Partnership, KSS and Miller Partnership. The consultants were shortlisted by Lee Valley Park Authority, the project director.
However, doubts persist over the financial viability of building a national athletics stadium on the site, which is in Edmonton. It is understood that the stadium’s total cost could rise to £150m. This takes account of remediation, infrastructure improvements and the conversion of the stadium to a 20 000-seat venue after it hosts the 2005 Athletics World Championships.
So far, client UK Athletics has secured only £72m in funding. The stadium will not be viable after 2005 unless the Lee Valley Park Authority secures an anchor tenant to make up a £23m revenue funding gap.
A spokesperson said talks were continuing with a rugby club and other “commercial enterprises and sponsors” that may use the stadium after 2005.
The project must start on site by December 2001.
Smith has rejected proposals by National Stadium architect Foster and Partners/HOK+Lobb to enable the new Wembley stadium to accommodate athletics.
