Wandsworth Council upgrades sports facilities

The London 2012 Olympic Games have left a lasting sporting legacy on the whole of the capital, not just in those areas where the main venues were built.

And the legacy is certainly being felt in the London borough of Wandsworth, where major improvements are being carried out at two of the area's most popular sports facilities.

The eight lane running track at the Millennium Arena in Battersea Park is to be completely refurbished as part of the £100,000 investment scheme, and there will be improved facilities for long jump and pole vault athletes.

Meanwhile at Barn Elms Sports Centre brand new beach volleyball courts are to be constructed using sand from the beach volleyball tournament at the 2012 Games.

Four recreational courts will be built which can also be converted into two international standard courts and can also accommodate other beach sports such as tag rugby, frisbee and footvolley.

The Millennium Arena improvements are expected to be completed by the middle of October, while the Barn Elms facilities should be opening to the public by the end of this month, making property to rent in Wandsworth even more attractive than it already is.

Jonathan Cook, spokesman on sports and leisure at Wandsworth Council, said: "These are exciting developments for sportsmen and women in Wandsworth.

"The work being carried out in Battersea Park's Millennium Arena will really cement its position as one of London's finest outdoor athletics venues for track and field events. Meanwhile the work that's being done at Barn Elms will deliver a fantastic Olympic legacy for Wandsworth."

Millennium Arena already boasts a host of excellent sporting facilities, including a fitness centre, an aerobics studio, floodlit tennis courts, two AstroTurf pitches and a multi-use games area, as well as changing and showering rooms for up to 130 people.

Barn Elms Sports Centre is spread across 52 acres and has various grass pitches for sports such as rugby, football and cricket and artificial surfaces for tennis, netball and hockey. It also boasts specialist facilities like archery ranges and has a boathouse for rowing.

Posted by Martyn Glynn

Published 11th September, 2012

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