Lee Valley White Water Centre plan
 |
The Lee Valley
White Water Centre was completed in December 2010 and opened to
the public on Good Friday, 22 April 2011. It will be the only new
London 2012 Games venue open to the public before the Games. The
Centre has created 50 full and part time jobs for the local economy
and will open to the public until 9 April 2012, when the venue will
be prepared by LOCOG for the London 2012 Games so the white water
canoe slalom events can be held between 29 July and 2 August 2012.
From 2013 onwards, the Centre will be owned and run by the Lee
Valley Regional Park Authority, with anticipated visitor numbers of
up to 70,000 per year. Paying visitors may be accompanied by
spectators so the actual number of visitors to the Waltham Cross
area may be higher. It is anticipated that the increase in visitors
to Waltham Cross will lead to increased spending in the town centre
and additional investment in the Borough. The Centre has also been
awarded the 2015 White Water Canoe World Championships which may
bring up to £1.5 million of additional investment into the Waltham
Cross area.
In December 2009, Brookbank Canoes and Kayaks opened a large
9,000 square feet canoe and kayak superstore in Lea Road, 200
metres from the entrance to the Centre and across the road from the
River Lee and Hazlemere Marina.