SOME of the world's best sporting talents will be dropping into Oaklands College to gear up for the London Olympics.

The college's Smallford Campus in Hatfield Road has been selected to host international horse riding and show jumping teams ahead of the global sporting event.

It's specialist equestrian centre was among 600 high quality' and elite' sporting facilities in the UK to be chosen as pre-Olympic training camps.

Each camp will offer athletes the opportunity to train and acclimatise ahead of the 2012 Games.

College sports staff are hoping the teams will be able to use the proposed state-of-the-art equestrian facilities included in the plans for a multi-million reshaping of its Smallford campus.

St Albans MP Anne Main has welcomed the news and wants local organisations to ensure the city benefits from the Olympic project.

She said: "I am pleased that Oaklands College has been identified as a possible venue for Olympic teams to train ahead of the London Games in 2012.

"I have long been saying that we should do everything we can to ensure that St Albans benefits from the boost in tourism and sporting facilities offered by the £9.3billion Olympic project.

"So far, four local businesses are set to be involved in various projects surrounding the Games and I hope many more people will benefit from this exciting sporting and business opportunity.

"I am pleased that this new announcement may provide an opportunity for us to play an even more central role in the project. St Albans can benefit from the Olympics."

  • This week the college will also submit its revised planning application to redevelop its Smallford Campus to St Albans District Council.

The new plans include proposals to further reduce the development's impact on the Green Belt and proposals to reduce potential traffic problems in Hatfield Road.

As well as modern workshops and hi-tech laboratories, the facilities will include football, hockey, tennis and netball astroturf and grass pitches.

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