2012 Velopark

protest ride - near the olympic village? could be controversial

Not when there aren't diginitaries, athletes and insanely high-security around.

The CM ride was a bit like going up to a protective mother and from the mother's perception threatening the child. Now the child has grown up and left the roost, the mother can be approached with less fear of an over-protective reaction.

And it wouldn't need to be dramatic... get a load of press down and co-ordinate a "Let us use our legacy" headline (everyone must learn that phrase and say it at every opportunity). Push a few Herne Hill riders to the front, get Velo Londres and other clubs to be there too... LFGSS only at the back to swell numbers.

Basically... why can't we use it? Seriously, why can't we?

with you on that one. Velodrome needs to be used, and with the swelling of numbers at herne hill (which is a good thing) those who want to be slightly more committed need a place to ride...

Can we not get the LCC, British Cycling, CTC involved in this?

I know there is probably some sort of sensible reasoning behind this, probably to do with building the rest of the velopark, deconstruction of some of the other venues, but surely if as RPM states they have staff ready to go, we should be able to arrange access to the velodrome so we can turn left eternally before the end of 2013..

pretty sickening news that. even us rednecks out in the regions would like access, and have plenty of riders asking/ talking about use of the place

Push a few Herne Hill riders to the front, get Velo Londres and other clubs to be there too... LFGSS only at the back to swell numbers.
Kids. This needs lots of kids at the front. Kids that want to cycle and be part of the legacy.

So we need a herd of children, the younger Herne Hill riders, a load of teams, lots of forumengers, a few respectable spokespeople, and the a load of press.

We should a make a list and delegate who is going to deliver which part, between us we are surely connected enough to get all of that.

I can bring the forumengers (a few emails to the mailing list and constant ear-bending should produce a hundred or so, especially if the prize for doing so is a race-day at the velodrome).

Protests, flashmobs, storm the gates, wonderful and will do nothing at this stage to help. We are still in the afterglow of the Olympics and Paralympics which were extremely well organised and a fantastic success. That afterglow will last a little while longer.

I want to ride the velodrome as much as the next rider and have been bitching about having to wait 15 months (or more) after the Olympics for the past six months as simply wrong. I've worked in construction for 25 years or more and I cannot see why safe access across a construction site as well as facilities within a fully functional venue cannot be provided earlier than 2014.

I do not have all the facts in front of me regarding the reason and I suspect neither do you. The first action surely for riders is simply to write a polite letter to Lee Valley Regional Authority asking why the velodrome cannot be opened earlier.

Lee Valley Regional Park Information Service
Myddelton House
Bulls Cross
Enfield EN2 9HG

The press will at some point start to raise questions about the Legacy and Inspire a Generation and why Johnny's Dad cannot phone up and book his son onto a beginner's course at the Velodrome until 2014. I planted those seeds at the SE Track Champs with Sky,BBC and the Evening Standard.

But going back to my first point, the media and subsequently the general public are unlikely to respond well at this time to protests as we're still in the Olympic afterglow. And may that afterglow last as long as it takes to be honest.

My guess is, the LVRA will not take possession of this area of the park for at least another 3 months,once all the Olympic stuff has been stripped out. So add another 3 months on to that, the earliest I think the Velodrome could realistically be open to the public is April 2012, in time for Easter!

I'm one of the people who's been campaigning since 2003 to secure relocation and legacy for the 'derelict site' that was Eastway. I called Seb Coe to the Planning Inquiry for cross-examination and I've been to many many meetings with the planners and politicos to get planning conditions, space, funding and the will to get our provision sorted through the Games build and beyond. - It's been a long time. Maybe some of the issues have become a bit obscure, but you can be sure there is a firm place in the legacy parklands only because of the Eastway Users' Group.

Considering where we're at now;-
One of the superficial issues is the amount of work that needs doing to remove the temporary structures, and it can't all be done at the same time. They haven't started on the Hockey or BMX tribunes as far as I can see. However the scene in Greenwich Park is very different, as they obviously have an early deadline to meet for the equestrian arena's removal.
Temporary structures are not the real issue, as the Velopark comes with the complication of developers needing to work on the closely adjacent sites. We objected to how tightly the developments approached the Velopark boundary, and how some actually moved it aside, but we have an agreed plan that gained consent earlier this year. This ;encroachment' is a drag and might entail a delay in opening-up the area, but it does mean the developers all want the park to be completed before they sell the units, and that will be as soon as possible too.

It gets more complicated: There have been several plans. 2007 gave us nothing of any worth outside the velodrome. The plan agreed in 2009 was carefully worked out with the same architect as the velodrome, but that was never going to be built by the Legacy Company that worked-up its own plan in 2011 to satisfy developer partners first.
As a result of combined objection to the 2011 plans, made by EUG, Sport England and British Cycling we re-opened discussions with the Legacy Company (now an Urban Development Corporation) to get the plans changed and things moved round. This means the 2012 Velopark layout entails removing a section of the Olympic Lifeline road, which must be re-routed to give access to Westfield's car parks and the new residential quarters. Utilities under the road have to remain in place.

Were things to drag out, the Lee Valley Park, which owns the land has every reason to get it completed. They are definitely wanting to get the legacy funding spent in the right way and to the agreed timescale.
In 2004 and 2009 we secured planning conditions which insist the legacy must be completed by the end of 2014. That is the final backstop, but if the work has to be done, it may as well be done to the agreed timescales which say end of 2013.

• Which does not seem so bad, when you reckon how much there is to get done. The landscaping and planting is bound to take a while to stabillise, and that's last on a list of some quite significant groundworks.
  Every meeting about the legacy opening has always heard the same thing from Lee Valley Park - After their experience with the Broxbourne White Water centre they will never again be forced into opening before they are ready. They have been consistently saying they would not do a partial opening, especially because the velodrome sits in the middle of the park, and so will be in the midst of a construction site at first, with developments going on all around and requiring use of the access roads.. Then they want 'around six months' to prove their systems, train staff and generally get ready for the public opening, which was the big problem they hit with the Broxbourne centre which was jammed solid with people from day 1.
  They are not being definite on any opening date, preferring to say 'around the end of 2013'.
  
• When you consider the amount of work, and the separate capital projects involved, the landscaping and the commissioning of operations and equipment at the Velopark, this isn't a long time to wait.
  Be patient. We've been working for you on this since 2003, when Eastway was described as 'derelict' and a deal had been done for us to get nothing apart from a biscuit tin velodrome that was to be built by 2005 to count towards London's Olympic bid. We got a right to relocation and to legacy, and so far it's worked out OK after only a few occasions on which we have had to raise hell and mount publicity campaigns.
  If the programme starts to slip beyond 2013 we will be there again, but this isn't the time to start action on opening any earlier.
  
  

Bring it on! I'll be there on my bike.

Also worth noting the 2012 road circuit plan demands a new bridge over the Lea, where the earlier plan used the existing structures.

Plurien, thanks for the update.

And as you say in relation to the Broxbourne Water Centre, once bitten, twice shy.

Obviously I like many other cyclists aren't in the loop about why it will take so long (relatively) for the velodrome to open to the public. More communications about the timeline/schedule are welcome..

Thanks for the update plurien, fantastic work.

I think most people would accept that work on the Velopark is likely to take some time, but why does access to the velodrome itself have to be completely tied into this timescale? Surely it's not beyond the realms of possibility to allow access with temporary parking facilities etc while other work in the surrounding area is going on? We probably wouldn't be able to put on any major events in that time but at least we could have the track open for training and track days for local schools etc.

That we have a world class track right under our noses that has cost us millions just sitting empty and unused for over a year just seems like a terrible waste. I also wonder how many unspotted talented local kids are going to slip through the net in that time?

I think most people would accept that work on the Velopark is likely to take some time, but why does access to the velodrome itself have to be completely tied into this timescale? Surely it's not beyond the realms of possibility to allow access with temporary parking facilities etc while other work in the surrounding area is going on?

This is the actual question at hand, before we get carried away with veloparks and road circuits.

Back on topic:
Of course there is no valid reason why some partial access to the velodrome can't be arranged. Nobody is expecting a full-scale program, just some arrangements. The cost of providing this is negligible in the scheme of the works. I dont think people are talking about bringing forward the date of opening for the site, merely some temporary, limited access.

Even opening only from 5pm-10pm when presumably the main site quitens down a bit, it doesn't have to be every day of the week either. There's still an awful lot of riders that could be catered for in a much less than fully open velodrome.

I went to the paralympics and entered via the Eton gate which is just off Hackney Marshes, cycled there from Clapton without having to touch a single road, Plenty of parking there and then 5 minutes walk to the velodrome. You dont even have to see the rest of the site. I dont see why this cant be used as access.

And as you say in relation to the Broxbourne Water Centre, once bitten, twice shy.

What was the problem with Broxbourne? I am a regular user of the center and I never really saw any problems other than teething ones. It will be closing again at xmas until (hopefully) April for some re development works as well. At the moment its a brilliant place and its great that they have managed to keep the momentum going after the olympics which unfortunately the velopark cannot.

TT Tom

If you read Plurien's post( though it helps if you know a bit about the saga of the Velo park going back to 03/04 ) you'll see that the Velo Park requires a lot of work to be done around the Velodrome for the VeloPark to work. Indeed, the Velodrome was always designed for the Velopark and vice versa. Unlike the stadium, the Velodrome/Velopark has aways had a defined role for after the games. It just looks like it might take a bit longer for it to happen.

That we will be getting what we were " promised " in 05 is down to the tenacity of the Eastway Users Group..

Jimm, if you read Plurien's post he makes mention of this

**Every meeting about the legacy opening has always heard the same thing from Lee Valley Park - After their experience with the Broxbourne White Water centre they will never again be forced into opening before they are ready. They have been consistently saying they would not do a partial opening, especially because the velodrome sits in the middle of the park, and so will be in the midst of a construction site at first, with developments going on all around and requiring use of the access roads.. Then they want 'around six months' to prove their systems, train staff and generally get ready for the public opening, which was the big problem they hit with the Broxbourne centre which was jammed solid with people from day 1. **

which is what I was referring to

The Final Eastway Tuesday Tens.mov - YouTube

This is a film of the last Tuesday Ten@ the Eastway. The finish line is probably where the Velodrome is now.

I am in one the last shots , walking away from the finish with one of my daugthers.

Eastway was lovely, so much missed.

Oh I agree Oliver, I have fond memories of those June and July evenings . I do hope the Velopark can have some thing of the same atmosphere..

I remember being sick 100m past the finish line after a tough race and sprint finish. My contributions to the velodrome's foundations.

Oh I agree Oliver, I have fond memories of those June and July evenings . I do hope the Velopark can have some thing of the same atmosphere..

It'll be too new at first, I guess. Eastway was great because it seemed so remote and secluded. It took a long time for all those trees to grow.

A Legacy Company image showing the 2012 consented plan for the Velopark.
Thinking about access to the velodrome during transformation phases:-
To the R of the picture, S of the Velodrome there will be a complete new residential quarter, which is yet to be built.
To the E of the site (top R) the Olympic Lifeline road has to be removed in order to provide clear access for riders to the 'eastern lands' that were bartered inbetween the 2011 and 2012 planning revisions. This road gives access to Westfield and has significant utilities underneath.
N and W of the velodrome will see significant hard landscaping changes to put in the road circuit. (the underpass at the velodrome's NW corner was included in 2007 and 2009 permissions associated with the velodrome because planning for the circuit was inherent in all plans. You may have noted storage containers at circuit-level when you were there in Games mode).
A bridge has to be brought in to match the construction bridge already in place (which was held in place specifically and only for the road circuit, instead of being removed as planned). We already know where the bridge will be coming from, but this will take time and requires space to install...

Landscaping and repurposing the surrounding parklands will take significant time.
BMX has to be 'flattened' from present Supercross layout
All tribunes and stands removed
Games-time utility runs removed or repurposed
Roads, paths and car-parking installed
Landforms preprared and planted, with off-road trails built
and so on...

Just one important consideration: Emergency Services access to the velodrome will be highly limited during the time of roads and residential construction. It would not be possible to open if fire service or ambulances can't get in.

• We all want the transformation work to be done properly and as soon as possible.
  
  

Whilst not going along with the official line on everything, it's informative to read this release from the Legacy Corp
http://www.londonlegacy.co.uk/legacy-company-plans-approved-for-%E2%80%98world-class%E2%80%99-velopark/
and look at this hi-res images showing wider views than the above pic.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/42536806/Transformation/Cam_25_Final.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/42536806/Transformation/Cam_31_Final.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/42536806/Transformation/Cam_28_Final.jpg

There is a lot to be done all around that lovely velodrome.

While you're waiting, is there anything you think would help the thing be choc-full with sessions from day 1? It won't hurt us to ask!

Operational considerations are a concern:
Our worry was always the limited capacity of a velodrome, which is one reason why Eastway Users were not prepared to go along with the ready-made plan to get one in 'pre-build' as part of the Games bid. From Manchester and Newport, we learned they manage around 18 rider episodes per hour at max capacity so the operator will be tempted to balance demand with price, or to offer diluted sessions where riders have to wait long periods between on-track activity. Whatever your level there will be a lot of demand and it won't only be from Joe Public, since hte national development programme riders, national / international events and 'private' sessions will take chunks of every day.

• The sooner you organise and agree on session formats, the more likely you will be able to negotiate a slot. My advice would be to NOT wait and let others run the place in ways you might not support.
  From what we've learned, the Park Authority will seek to operate the Velopark's amenities in ways we haven't seen before. Knowledge of this is limited because they won't meet with the Users' Group yet. Sorry I can't shed any more light, but you can be sure the questions have been asked.
  
• Any thoughts from this forum?
  
  

[BTW my name is Michael Humphreys]

A Legacy Company image showing the 2012 consented plan for the Velopark.
Thinking about access to the velodrome during transformation phases:-
To the R of the picture, S of the Velodrome there will be a complete new residential quarter, which is yet to be built.
To the E of the site (top R) the Olympic Lifeline road has to be removed in order to provide clear access for riders to the 'eastern lands' that were bartered inbetween the 2011 and 2012 planning revisions. This road gives access to Westfield and has significant utilities underneath.
N and W of the velodrome will see significant hard landscaping changes to put in the road circuit. (the underpass at the velodrome's NW corner was included in 2007 and 2009 permissions associated with the velodrome because planning for the circuit was inherent in all plans. You may have noted storage containers at circuit-level when you were there in Games mode).
A bridge has to be brought in to match the construction bridge already in place (which was held in place specifically and only for the road circuit, instead of being removed as planned). We already know where the bridge will be coming from, but this will take time and requires space to install...

Landscaping and repurposing the surrounding parklands will take significant time.
BMX has to be 'flattened' from present Supercross layout
All tribunes and stands removed
Games-time utility runs removed or repurposed
Roads, paths and car-parking installed
Landforms preprared and planted, with off-road trails built
and so on...

Just one important consideration: Emergency Services access to the velodrome will be highly limited during the time of roads and residential construction. It would not be possible to open if fire service or ambulances can't get in.

• We all want the transformation work to be done properly and as soon as possible.
  
  

Whilst not going along with the official line on everything, it's informative to read this release from the Legacy Corp
http://www.londonlegacy.co.uk/legacy-company-plans-approved-for-%E2%80%98world-class%E2%80%99-velopark/
and look at this hi-res images showing wider views than the above pic.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/42536806/Transformation/Cam_25_Final.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/42536806/Transformation/Cam_31_Final.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/42536806/Transformation/Cam_28_Final.jpg

There is a lot to be done all around that lovely velodrome.

While you're waiting, is there anything you think would help the thing be choc-full with sessions from day 1? It won't hurt us to ask!

Operational considerations are a concern:
Our worry was always the limited capacity of a velodrome, which is one reason why Eastway Users were not prepared to go along with the ready-made plan to get one in 'pre-build' as part of the Games bid. From Manchester and Newport, we learned they manage around 18 rider episodes per hour at max capacity so the operator will be tempted to balance demand with price, or to offer diluted sessions where riders have to wait long periods between on-track activity. Whatever your level there will be a lot of demand and it won't only be from Joe Public, since hte national development programme riders, national / international events and 'private' sessions will take chunks of every day.

• The sooner you organise and agree on session formats, the more likely you will be able to negotiate a slot. My advice would be to NOT wait and let others run the place in ways you might not support.
  From what we've learned, the Park Authority will seek to operate the Velopark's amenities in ways we haven't seen before. Knowledge of this is limited because they won't meet with the Users' Group yet. Sorry I can't shed any more light, but you can be sure the questions have been asked.
  
• Any thoughts from this forum?
  
  

[BTW my name is Michael Humphreys]

Plurien, again thanks for your insight and knowledge of the ins, outs and hoops required to jump through to get this project through whilst still keeping the cyclists who will use the facilities at the forefront.

In terms of prioritising usage, I suggest you speak to JC or RPM who coach and help down at the Herne Hill Velodrome, or VCL who look after the coaching down there, as most london cyclists first experience of riding on a velodrome starts at herne hill.

I think linking the two venues together, and using Herne Hill as a feeder for the velodrome is a no brainer, so that they can sustain each other hopefully, with herne hill being a place where you can learn skills and track/race craft and then hone those skills at a higher level at the national velodrome. What would be unfortunate would be for all the riders who have been using herne hill to be sucked away by the shininess of the national velodrome, never to return.
So some sort of co-ordinated booking/coaching schedule would be welcome.

I'm assuming that the Velodrome will be a commercial venture, so with the boom in track cycling attendance and visibility, events such as the Good Friday Meet (traditionally held at herne hill) or new events like the Manchester Revolution??? a uk version of a traditional continental 6 day track meet will want to be held there, so will they take priority over training sessions?

I think the velodrome will be chock full from opening, but more communication with those who are passionate about the track, particularly those who frequent herne hill is a must. Obviously as you mentioned there is no firm date for re-opening, but lines of communication must be kept open and updates on work that is done, being done, should be more forthcoming.

Maybe start inviting cycling clubs in london and the south east to take a tour round the velodrome, to solidify interest, I was one of many who didn't get track tickets during the olympics and paralympics, so to see the inside of the velodrome myself would be a great thing.

Also there is the need to start linking to the local community, and to advocate for people to cycle to and from the venue, obviously with the aim to get more people on their bikes, not just for sport based activity but also as transportation, so probably connecting with one or more of the cycle training organisations to get them into schools in the surrounding area so they can teach kids to ride in a suitable manner. Speak to Skydancer or wiganwill who are both cycle trainers on here.

Maybe think about starting a cycling club specifically for the velodrome, is that stupid? Or asking members of VCL to be part of any coaching, membership drives etc.

Cornelius, Michael has been involing London's clubs in this since 2004.

But I am sure he would be glad of your help.