2012 Olympics hotel hopes
THE district council hopes to capitalise on the London 2012 Olympics by attracting a major hotel chain to East Cambs. A motion put forward by Cheveley councillor Peter Cresswell at a full council meeting on Tuesday urged council chiefs to investigate opt
THE district council hopes to capitalise on the London 2012 Olympics by attracting a major hotel chain to East Cambs.
A motion put forward by Cheveley councillor Peter Cresswell at a full council meeting on Tuesday urged council chiefs to investigate options to bring a new hotel and facilities to the district ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
It is hoped that the district will claim a slice of the £600m in revenue that the games are expected to generate for the region.
Cllr Cresswell said more than half a million spectators are expected to attend each day's events, and this influx of visitors to London represented a "golden opportunity" for the district.
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"The enormous number of visitors to our country will need to be accommodated somewhere," he said.
"At previous Olympic Games, surveys have shown that tourists have stayed up to two and three hours travelling distance from the Olympic venue."
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He said a modern hotel would be sustainable and would provide accommodation for tourists in Cambridge and Ely alike.
The motion follows members' recent endorsement, subject to planning regulations, of an outline proposal by a private consortium to develop an equine centre of excellence near Newmarket. This facility would be capable of hosting pre-Olympic training camps.
