Government takes first step towards North of England Olympics bid

The UK government has commissioned a review into whether the North of England could host the Olympics and Paralympics in the 2040s.

The move marks the first step towards submitting a bid for a multi-city hosting of the games that would use sport to drive regeneration efforts in the region, as was done in East London for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The commissioning of UK Sport to complete the work by Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, follows a call by Mayors in the region earlier this year. The Great North – a collaboration of Mayors and Leaders across the North – called on the Culture Secretary in February to commit in principle that any future UK bid to host the Olympics would focus on the North of England. The games’ organisers, the International Olympics Committee (IOC), has increasingly expressed support for multi-city, region-wide bids.

Initial work examining whether the UK could host the Games for the first time since London 2012 will assess key factors such as potential cost, socioeconomic benefit and any bid’s chance of success. It will also sit alongside other tools to use sport to drive growth in towns and cities across the UK, including investing in infrastructure and regeneration around development of stadiums.

Welcoming the move, Chair of The Great North, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said on behalf of the region’s mayors:

“From our great cities and towns to our coastlines and countryside, the North has the venues, the passion and the sporting pride to deliver a world-class Olympic and Paralympic Games that showcases the very best of Great Britain to the world.

“A Great North Olympics would be a global showcase, leaving a legacy of prosperity, unity and renewal. It’s an opportunity not to be missed, delivering transformational investment in transport, regeneration and public spaces across the North of England. This could become the most people-powered Games ever hosted: inspiring millions of people into sport, volunteering and community action.”