New berths for sailors competing in Weymouth and Portland for
London 2012
08 February 2010
The London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and
Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today confirmed that subject to contract
negotiations, the London 2012 sailing community will be housed in
the new 77 unit low carbon housing development being built at
Officer’s Field, Osprey Quay, Portland, Dorset.
The fourteen day Olympic sailing competition in July and August
2012 will involve approximately 700 sailors, coaches and officials
with the six day Paralympic sailing competition in August and
September 2012 requiring less than half that number to be
housed.
Sustainable developer ZeroC Holdings is building 77 two, three
and four-bedroom low carbon homes in partnership with the South
West RDA (Regional Development Agency), the owner of the land at
Portland. Osprey Quay is a former Royal Navy Air Station which was
acquired for regeneration in 2000.
The development was selected following an assessment of
accommodation options around the wider Weymouth and Portland area
to find the best possible housing for competitors and their support
teams. The development is within close proximity to the competition
venue - the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy and the
adjacent Portland Marina; an important factor in selecting the
site.
With planning permission for the 77 new homes granted in July
last year and construction started in September 2009, the
development was an obvious option for LOCOG to explore. The homes
will meet Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, reducing
carbon emissions by more than half compared with conventional new
build properties.
Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG, commented: "This development
offers consistency with the standards being achieved in the main
Athletes Village in Stratford, and will be a great home for the
athletes at Games-time. We are confident that making temporary use
of a permanent facility which is very much part of the impressive
regeneration of Portland is the right solution for athletes and for
Portland in the long-term.”
Kim Slowe, Managing Director of ZeroC Holdings Ltd, commented:
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to develop high-quality
sustainable housing for Portland. The area is highly attractive
with the 2012 Games bringing excellent facilities and much needed
investment into the area. The housing is located next to world
class leisure facilities and some of the most stunning coastal
scenery in the UK."
Councillor Howard Legg, Briefholder for Special Projects &
2012, said: “We welcome this news; having the sailing athletes
accommodated on land in a sustainable housing scheme which will
bring long term benefit to Portland is preferable to a temporary
cruise ship. Given the current down turn in the housing market,
this also means extra properties, including affordable housing, for
the Island sooner than might otherwise have been the case.
Improvements are also being made to local community facilities as a
result of this project going ahead."
James Watts, Development Manager at the South West RDA with
responsibility for Osprey Quay, said: “The RDA is investing more
than £40 million in Osprey Quay to make it a magnet for private
sector investment, creating around 1,400 jobs by 2016. ZeroC’s
scheme is the latest step in that regeneration process and we’re
delighted that this exemplar low carbon development will be a
temporary home to teams from around the world and then a permanent
asset for the local community.”
The London 2012 sailing community will occupy the newly
constructed housing during the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games
in the summer of 2012. Following this, the units will be made ready
for sale and occupation by their new owners, with 25% of the units,
in a range of sizes, to be made available as affordable housing via
a registered social landlord. The remaining properties will be sold
privately by ZeroC the developer.
In the coming months, LOCOG will work to conclude agreements
with the developer and involve the local community both in the
emerging operational plans for the summer of 2012 and in the
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for welcoming the world to
Dorset.
Ends
For further information please contact the London 2012 Press
Office on +44 (0)203 2012 100 or visit the website at
www.london2012.com. Find out the
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Notes to editors:
As it heads towards its £2bn budget for staging the Olympic and
Paralympic Games, LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners -
adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are
six domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, Cadbury, Cisco,
Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now thirteen domestic Tier
Three Suppliers and Providers – Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting
Group, Crystal CG, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, GSK, Holiday
Inn, McCann Worldgroup, The Nielsen Company, Populous,
Ticketmaster, Trident and John Lewis.
The Worldwide Olympic Partners signed up for London 2012 are
Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos Origin, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic,
Samsung and Visa.