Barking could become Olympic shooting venue

THE 2012 OLYMPIC shooting event may be moved to Barking after the estimated cost of staging the event at Woolwich barracks doubled to £40million.

A greenfield site in the Essex town is among a number of alternatives on the outskirts of the East End being considered by the Olympic Delivery Authority.

The move has been made after the ODA encountered complications in fitting the Olympic shooting events into the historic Royal Artillery barracks.

A bespoke venue such as Barking would cut costs and also pacify the national shooting federation, which has lobbied for a new range to be built as a legacy from the Olympics.

Alternatives to Woolwich are detailed in the Government-commissioned report by KPMG which conducted a cost analysis of temporary venues.

The Olympic board accepted the accountancy firm's recommendation to keep equestrianism in Greenwich Park and basketball in the Olympic Park.

However the shooting remains under review and will be discussed again at next month's Board.

A move to Barking may satisfy Boris Johnson, who said he was "disappointed" that savings could not have been made on the other temporary venues. If chosen, Barking would be within easy reach of the Olympic village in Stratford for about 400 Olympic shooters.

Barking would be the third choice of Olympic shooting venue as Games chiefs opted against the national shooting centre in Bisley, Surrey, after they were advised by the International Olympic Committee during the bid that it was too far for shooters to travel from London. KPMG included Bisley in their cost analysis but its chances of becoming a 2012 venue are minimal.

KPMG has focused on cost effectiveness and its report is thought to have highlighted difficulties in Woolwich in accommodating the range "template" which is particularly large for Olympic events.

Woolwich was chosen during the bid as one of the "river zone" venues. But it was opposed by British Shooting which wrote to MPs and started a petition on the Downing Street website to have it moved.

The ODA is scouring eastern boroughs of London but if Barking wins approval then it will create a sixth Olympic borough of Barking and Dagenham.

An ODA spokesman said: "Work to assess the best option is ongoing and no final decisions have yet been taken."