Peter Gracia MCIOB
Director, Gracia Consult
For me the Olympics was a matter of head versus heart. I was very proud to see Team GB doing as well as we did, which is great for the morale of the country in these difficult times, but I’m not convinced that it made a lot of sense from a business perspective in terms of the huge £9.3bn investment.
In the cold light of day, I don’t think businesses around London, or the contractors involved in projects, really benefited. I’ve heard consultancy firms say they wouldn’t have bothered bidding on the project if they’d known it would be such a poisoned chalice. And the larger contractors that hoped to benefit from the positive publicity associated with Olympics success were also hit when LOCOG then shut down many of the avenues they had to promote and advertise their involvement.
Chris Kane MCIOB
Director, Greendale Construction
I really enjoyed the buzz surrounding the Games and the fact the even people not previously interested in sport got involved. I went to see the first England game at Wembley and it was so well organised, all the volunteers were very helpful, and the atmosphere was fantastic. The success of our athletes has given everyone a lift and made them feel proud to be British, and hopefully that positivity will continue to effect peoples’ outlook and, in turn, boost the economy.
I’m not concerned about the £9.3bn price tag, if the point of the Olympics was to “inspire a generation” then it worked and should encourage youngsters to live healthier lives.
We’ve been working on a small project in Weymouth close to the sailing venues, and were worried about congestion, but as it turned out we found it really traffic free, thanks to the new infrastructure put in, which was a bonus.
Kevin McGloughlin
Director, K&M decorating and winner of CIOB Chairman’s Medal
I was lucky enough to be invited to the closing ceremony, along with two of my apprentices, by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg. He had been impressed by the work were doing at our in-house painting and decorating training centre in Islington and, out of the blue, invited us to join him at the stadium.
K&M’s work is intrinsically linked with the London 2012 legacy. Two years ago we opened the painting and decorating training college. When the council found out about its success they asked us to set up a five-week painting and decorating course for 16-19-year-olds in Islington as part of the Olympic legacy. Those that pass the course will be recommended for employment by participating contractors in London, which could then turn into a full-time apprenticeship.
Laura Martin FCIOB
Lifecycle manager, Aspire Defence Services
The opening ceremony was incredible and made me proud of the depth of the UK’s history compared to that of most other nations. The Olympics created a patriotic fervour that will hopefully last a long time. It gave lots of people a purpose and something to support.
From a construction perspective, I was impressed at how those involved planned what was needed, then just got on and built it and delivered it on time. Hopefully it will help the industry focus on what it can achieve and to act positively rather than focus on the negative.
Graham Kean
Partner, EC Harris
The Olympics were a brilliant showcase of how good UK plc is at delivering major projects and programmes of work. From their arrival at T5, our Olympic visitors will have experienced the careful traffic management and wonderful public transport all across London, plus the phenomenal Javelin Train departing St Pancras Station on its journey to Stratford and the Westfield shopping centre.
They would then have seen the bold and elegant Velodrome, Aquatics Centre and the iconic stadium. These are all amazing legacies from the Games.
Steve Speller
Managing director, Speller Metcalfe
Whether you’re a fan of sport or not, who can deny the fever that engulfed the nation? The Olympics provided an ideal opportunity to showcase UK construction on a global platform, and no doubt has encouraged badly-needed investment in the industry.
