Three Olympic venues face axe

Three Olympic venues could be pulled from London 2012, as concerns mount over the costs of the construction programme.

The Evening Standard reports that accountants KPMG have been appointed by the London Olympics' organisers to review the necessity of building three of the venues. These are: the equestrian venue at Greenwich Park; the shooting venue in Woolwich; and the basketball venue in the main Olympic park.

Tessa Jowell, minister for London 2012, told the Standard: “We have commissioned KPMG to do a report on the equestrian, shooting and basketball venues, looking at whether the Olympic experience and the legacy they will provide represents value for money.

“When you take the costs for these venues, it seems like a lot of money to a lot of people. It is a sort of testing-to-destruction to see whether that spending can be justified.”

Jowell added it was “possible but unlikely” that the venues would be axed. However, the Standard claimed sources at City Hall and the London Development Agency thought there was a “higher chance” than Jowell that some or all of the venues would be chopped.

The KPMG review is expected to last several months. Any decisions about changing the venues at this stage would have to be given formal approval by the International Olympics Committee.