Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned that the anticipated increase in visitors during the Games will lead to serious congestion, with even major live sites such Hyde Park likely to become full.
You might imagine that Hunt’s attention has been distracted from the Olympics during the last six weeks as he fought for his political life at the Leveson inquiry, but he insists not.
He says that tackling logistical issues such as overcrowding and queuing times at Heathrow has remained a priority as he attempts to turn “a good Games into a great one”.
Hunt says organisers are hoping to counter the massive increase in visitors with a real-time information network that will warn of serious congestion and advise on alternative locations for visitors.
He told Telegraph Sport that visitors without tickets for Olympic events would still be encouraged to come to London, but they should expect delays and be prepared to change their plans according to congestion.
“There are days when we will have up to a million more people trying to get into the centre of London than the pavements have got the capacity to hold,” Hunt said.
“We are a free country, people can move around as they wish, and we want to encourage people to come to London, it’s their capital, it's their Olympics.
"But we want to provide better information than people have ever had before to enable people to change their destination if the place they want to go is full.”
The reality is that the most attractive destinations for watching free events, such as St James’s Park, will be unable to cope with the crowds.
Signs will tell spectators if, for example, Hyde Park is full and advise them to head to another live site, such as Victoria Park or the South Bank. While this could entail long journeys across London, Hunt says it is better than the alternative of people travelling to overcrowded sites with no idea of other destinations.
The congestion issues will be most marked in the opening week of the Olympics, starting the day before the opening ceremony when the torch relay arrives in central London, bringing major disruption with it.
Around 120 heads of state will arrive in the following 24 hours, and the morning after the opening ceremony the road race will bring central and west London to a standstill.
Steps are also being taken to offset the frustration of inevitable delays at Heathrow by installing screens in immigration showing live coverage of the Games. Disney-style signs informing travellers of queuing times will also be deployed.
“The reality is that there is going to be queuing and there are going to be delays. But we don’t want people standing for a long time without knowing why they are waiting and how long the wait is going to be.”
Hunt insisted that the Leveson diversion has not affected Olympic planning. “Throughout that period we managed to protect the contingency fund, crack through Heathrow and crowd issues and a host of 2012 issues.
“It definitely had its challenging moments, call it a learning experience, but
I don’t think the Olympic press will be able to ask me any questions that
frighten me after Leveson.”
University drops out of stadium race
The field of bidders for the Olympic Stadium has been reduced by one after
the University of East London withdrew its offer. UEL had lodged a bid to
use office space and some sports facilities at the stadium, and brought the
prospect of cricket, with Essex County Cricket Club a partner in the bid.
With just 15 days until the deadline for submissions, there are confirmed bids from West Ham United, the F1-backed bid revealed by Telegraph Sport last week, and the University College of Football Business, currently based at Turf Moor.
Leyton Orient are also keen to bid for the stadium, but will have to come up
with a similar temporary seating solution to that proposed by West Ham to
make a ground-share work.
No trick photography at opening ceremony
As glimpses of the opening ceremony appear courtesy of aerial pictures,
organisers have insisted that they will not attempt to pass off pre-recorded
footage as live during the three-hour show on July 27.
Telegraph Sport understands that the use of some pre-recorded material into the live broadcast has been discussed by the creative team led by Danny Boyle, but Locog insist that any films of pre-prepared material will be clearly labelled as such.
Pre-recorded material including CGI “firework footprints” were used in the Beijing opening ceremony. With Boyle promising a more cinematic, intimate show, pre-recorded material could help him achieve that vision, but Locog insist there will be none.
The creative elements of the ceremony will be directed by the highly rated executive producer Hamish Hamilton, selected by Boyle and ceremonies director Stephen Daldry because of his huge experience directing major live events including Super Bowl half-time shows and the Oscars.
The protocol elements, including the athletes’ parade, will be handled by a
director from the Olympic Broadcast Service after a compromise to settle a
dispute over who should have overall control of the event.
LTA still a net loser
As Wimbledon gets under way with the traditional scattering of British wild
cards, the Lawn Tennis Association remains on trial for its failure to
encourage new players into the sport.
Earlier this year Sport England cut £530,000 from the LTA’s funding because participation figures had fallen by almost 30 per cent in the two years to March 2011.
The latest figures for the last year published show a modest increase in people playing once a week, but the total of 417,000 remains well below that in 2006, when chief executive Roger Draper took over having left a similar role at Sport England.
His successor at Sport England, Jennie Price, told Telegraph Sport that the LTA has yet to convince her that it deserves funding at its historic levels.
“They have still got work to do and we have got to see a recovery, because their participation numbers are still on a decrease despite having an incredibly attractive sport.”
The LTA and other sports will discover their funding awards for the four years from 2013 in the new year.
Jacquelin Magnay
Jonathan Liew
Jim White