Finding a balance between facilities and free spaces
I've been in Basildon working on a row which is at the heart of 2012's Olympic promise - how do you encourage young people to take up sport?
The , east of London, is building a £38 million "" which includes an Olympic-size swimming pool and sports hall.
It is hoped that some international teams will want to use the facilities as a training camp in the run-up to 2012.
There's no doubt that people in Basildon are going to benefit from the top-class facilities in the long term.
But there's a big problem...
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More than a third of the funding is coming from Olympic grants but the council wants to raise another £12 million by selling off public space for housing.
That may mean taking away green space where many children play for the first time.
Three of the six sites facing development are controversial with.
I met a group of residents who are very angry that a rare patch of green space where children play could be taken away from them. One told me that people couldn't afford to go to the new Sporting Village while their green space was free.
It's an interesting question. And I reckon the Basildon scenario is probably being repeated in other places up and down the country.
Of course, it's crucial to build facilities where children can try out all sorts of sports, especially when it's raining and snowing outside.
But at the same time, children need a place near where they live where it's safe to go and kick a football about or play cricket or rounders.
Are we getting this right in this country? Do we have enough facilities in place so that we can take advantage of the buzz of the Games to encourage kids to take up sport?
I feel the answer to this depends on where you live.
I'm ´óÏó´«Ã½ London's Olympics Correspondent, which means I report on every aspect of the preparations for 2012. I'm going to be telling you what people are saying about London's preparations - both in the Olympic corridors of power and on the streets of the capital - and I want to hear your views.
Comment number 1.
At 12th Sep 2010, Euloroo wrote:Having moved from London (and Essex before that) to suburban Sydney last year, it seems that sydneysiders really do value community green space. There may be no footpaths or public transport but there are always sports fields aplenty. This maybe reflects the proportional sporting success to australia compared to england?
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