Building a Home for World Class Triathlon in England’s Northwest

ONE of the biggest international sporting events ever to be held in the UK, the inaugural Countryside Properties Salford Triathlon ITU World Cup will sweep into Salford Quays on July 27. 

The event comes hot on the heels of recent Northwest sporting successes, such as the UEFA Champions League Final and the Great Manchester Run. One hundred and fifty top triathletes from across the globe, including home-grown talent and the 2002 Women’s World Champion, Leanda Cave, will compete in a fast and furious race for world championship positions and Olympic qualifying points right on our doorstep. 

A triathlon of this scale would not be possible without the help and support of its proud sponsors. Countryside Properties and the Northwest Development Agency have come together as private and public sector organisations - Giving the financial backing to secure the most important elite triathlon event ever hosted in the UK.

Sheldon Phillips, Special Projects Advisor for the Northwest Development Agency and former Regional Director of Sport England also observed:- "The Commonwealth Games triathlon has raised the bar for triathlon within the UK and we are only too pleased to help the continuation of this success with the 2003 world cup event. This triathlon is an excellent opportunity to once again promote the Northwest to the UK and overseas and shows that England’s Northwest really is Racing Ahead."

Race Organiser John Lunt explained:- "Salford has proved itself as home to triathlon in the UK, having an illustrious history of hosting this event – including the British National Championships in 2001 and the acclaimed Commonwealth Games triathlon in 2002.

The world cup status of this race means that athletes from every corner of the world – including Canada, Australia, United States and Japan – will be attending and the closed road circuit means spectators can get right up to the action."

More than 100,000 spectators flocked to last year’s triathlon and this year's event will reach an even bigger audience when it is broadcast on BBC Grandstand to over five million people throughout the UK and a further one billion are expected to tune in globally. 

the necessary data for road traffic development.

They will stop a sample of vehicles and ask about the origin and destination of their journeys. The interviews take only about a minute and minimum traffic disruption is a high priority, although recognition of the inevitable disruption during peak-times will cause minor inconvenience to traffic during this period. However, holidaymakers and commuters to Liverpool Airport should allow some additional time for their journeys during the next few weeks.

Councillor Peter Millea, Executive Member for Regeneration. Said, "Speke Garston and the neighbouring areas have undergone an economic boom in recent years with the consequent knock-on effects on traffic and transport.

So we can develop transport plans to fit in with the new developments taking place it is vital we know what the current traffic movements are. We would ask motorists to be patient and co-operate with these surveys. A short delay today can save a lot of traffic jams tomorrow."

 

SAFETY RESEARCH PLANS UNVEILED

THE HEALTH and Safety Commission and Executive published their Strategic Research Outlook for 2003. 

The document offers a guide to HSC/E’s research priorities and activities closely aligned to the block-based structure of our business, as described in the HSC/E Strategic Plan 2001 to 2004.

Dr Paul Davies, HSE’s Chief Scientist and Director of Corporate Science and Analytical Services commented:- “We aim to make more direct and transparent the link between our research priorities and activities and our business aims and objectives. 

HSC/E’s research requirements are expressed in broad terms in the SRO 2003, highlighting those issues or topics on which we expect to carry out research either now or in the future. A draft version of this document has already been made available on HSE’s website for comment on its structure and content. The responses received have been fully taken into account in the production of the final, published document.

HSE is currently undergoing significant internal change, which includes the way in which research needs are identified across the organisation. For this reason, the annual ‘Competition of Ideas’ exercise has been suspended in order to allow time to identify the most effective ways of ensuring that HSC/E remain open and receptive to new ideas. 

Also, this is the last time that the SRO will be published annually. From 2004, it will be published triennially, in line with the HSC/E Strategic Plan. Therefore, an alternative mechanism of presenting a Competition of Ideas exercise will need to be established.”

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