Olympic planning applications

Hyde Park Serpentine to host triathlon swimming

Hyde Park’s Serpentine will host a 1,500m swim as part of the Olympic Triathlon event. Planning has been granted for the triathlon course including a 3,00 capacity seating area. Those without tickets will be able to watch from vantage points in the park.

After the swim, a 40km cycle will take competitors out of the park through Queen Mother’s Gate, through Wellington Arch, down constitution Hill and on to Birdcage Walk in front of Buckingham Palace.

Athletes will then compete in a 10km run around the Serpentine.

Test events will be held in summer 2011, including the International Triathlon Union World Championship Series on 6-7 August.

The temporary structures for the Olympics will be installed in June 2012, two months before the Games begin while for the Olympic events Hyde Park will be surrounded by a three-metre high temporary fence.

See our press release or BBC News for more information.

Plans confirmed for beach volleyball on Horse Guards Parade

Horse Guards Parade will be transformed into a volleyball court for the 2012 Olympics including a 15,000 seat arena.

The council agreed to the plans, submitted by the London Organising Committe of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) on 13th January 2011. 

Two warm up courts and six pratice courts will also be created. The arena will be just over 21 metres high on three sides with four 30 metre high floodlights at each corner. Public lavatories and media rooms will also be located on the parade ground and in St. James's Park.

Plans were also agreed to hold the start and finish for the road cycling, race walk, Olympic marathon and Paralympic marathon events on the mall.

St. James's Park will also feature six beach volleyball training courts and temporary buildings including a hospitality lounge. The park site will be enclosed by a temporary 3m high fence.

Read about Horse Guards Parade in the news.

News: Planning permission has been given for an Olympic and Paralympic Countdown Clock in Trafalgar Square. The clock will countdown the days, hours and minutes to the Games in 2012.

The clock will begin its official countdown following a ceremony on 15 March 2011, 500 days before the start of the Games.

 Hyde Park has been chosen to host the Olympic Triathlon and Marathon swimming events.

To stage these events the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) needs to apply to the council for planning permission. Before this is submitted, LOCOG offered residents and businesses the chance to comment on the plans. The formal period of pre-planning application consultation has now ended,  but LOCOG still welcomes your feedback on the proposals. You can view and comment on the plans by:

• 
  going online: Horse Guards Parade consultation  
• or Hyde Park consultation
• calling Freephone 0800 198 2012
• writing to Freepost 2012 Games.