National Athletics Stadium

Pickett's Lock

National Athletics Stadium

site of Lee Valley Athletics Centre
Pickett's Lock Lane
LONDON
N9 0AS

Telephone: 01992 702200 (Lea Valley Park Information Centre), 020 8345 6666 (Leisure Centre)
Fax: 01992 702230 (Lee Valley Park Information Centre), 020 8884 4975 (Leisure Centre)

Email:
Website:

Type: Synthetic (planned), 400m, 8 lanes, lane straight

Authority:
Ceremonial County: Greater London

NUTS Name: London (PL)

Electronic Map Links:
Multimap 1:10,000 (Street Level)
Multimap 1:25,000 (Area Level)
Multimap 1:50,000 (Area Level)
Multimap 1:100,000 (Road Level)
Multimap 1:200,000 (Road Level)
Streetmap (Street Level)
Streetmap (Area Level)
Streetmap (Road Map)

OS National Grid Reference: TQ 361943 (approx)
National Grid Reference: 536100, 194300

Paper Maps:
AA Street by Street London 54 C3
A-Z Hertfordshire 9J 157
A-Z London Master 18Ac 26
A-Z London Atlas/DeLuxe 1J 29
A-Z London 1F 19
Collins London Comprehensive 101 DY46
Collins London 33 H1
OS Explorer Map: 173, 174

Train: Ponders End

Track Certification:

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Other Info:
It was announced on 4th October 2001 that plans for a National Athletics Stadium at Pickett's Lock had been scrapped on costs grounds with the consequent loss of the 2005 World Athletics Championships at the venue. However the venue has still been used for athletics with the opening in late 2006 of the Lee Valley Athletics Centre. The following lists for posterity some of the facts about the aborted National Athletics Stadium project.
It was announced on 24th March 2000 that the site of Lea Valley Leisure Centre in Pickett's Lock, North East London and near to Enfield was to be the location of the National Athletics Stadium. Shortly after, on 3rd April 2000, it was also announced that the site which is part of the Lee Valley Regional Park was also to be the venue for the 2005 World Athletics Championships. A 43,000 seat stadium would have been provided for the World Championships which would subsequently have been reduced in capacity to 20,000. There was also to have been an indoor 200m track (approximate OS Grid Ref. TQ 360942) and a 400m outdoor warm-up track (approximate OS Grid Ref. TQ 359941) on the site as well as a 60m straight under one of the stands and a warm-up area for throws (approximate OS Grid Ref. TQ 360941). The plans were designed by a team led by FaulknerBrowns. It is thought that the stadium would have cost around £100 million to build but the source of this funding was never obtained. It was thought that it would mainly have come from the Sport England Lottery Sports Fund. Other sources of possible funding were from the world class performance programme, the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, the Capital Modernisation Fund and the London Marathon Charitable Trust.
The site currently houses the Lea Valley Leisure Centre although this is though to be closing regardless of whether athletics ever comes to the site, a 12 screen UCI cinema and restaurants, a floodlit all-weather pitch, four completely run-down five-a-side pitches which coincidentally have a synthetic running track type surface, a golf course, a driving range and a caravan park. These facilities are collectively known as the Lea Valley Leisure Complex. To accommodate the new facilities, the Leisure Centre, pitches and the golf clubhouse which is next to the Leisure Centre would have been demolished.
The transport links to the site are not bad but could certainly be improved. It is about four miles from junction 25 of the M25 but the A1055 road from there is dual carriageway for only part of the way. It is also only about 1.5 miles from the A406 North Circular Road. The mainline railway line from Liverpool Street to Stanstead Airport runs past the site but the nearest station, Ponders End, is almost a mile away. It would certainly be possible to build a station virtually opposite the stadium which would compensate for the fact that it is nowhere near an underground station and so access from Heathrow or Gatwick airports or even indeed central London would not be straightforward.

Last update: 15/01/2007

Please send any amendments to Tim Grose