The Gunnell family is setting up the site at Old Farm in Green Lane just off Chigwell High Road, with the Caravan Club set to be open between July and September next year in order to provide a cheaper alternative to hotels for people watching the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The farm is still owned by Gunnell's parents but many of the farm's neighbours have expressed their anger at not being formally consulted over the plans and have said they are worried about the site causing gridlock on the area's roads.

But Gunnell, who now works as a motivational speaker, has claimed that the Caravan Club will be professionally run and not cause traffic problems in the area.

"It's all going to be well-organised," said the 44-year-old who now lives in West Sussex.

"My mum and dad had a lot of people approaching them to do car parking and all sorts of things.

"They wanted to get the right people and someone like the Caravan Club was willing to do all the council stuff.

"It's such a respectable company.

"There should not be a lot of cars there all the time.

"It's only for a few weeks and it's nothing we would probably do again in our lives."

Plans for the London 2012 Games will see caravans towed to and from the farm through a new entrance that will be created next to the new Grange Farm roundabout on the High Road.

Meanwhile a temporary road will run through the farm to the camp site, and cars will leave via a one-way system along Vicarage Lane.

Plans are also in place for a shuttle bus to take campers to and from tube stations so they can get to the Olympic Park.


Gunnell (pictured) said she and her family would be staying on the farm for most of the London 2012 Olympics, where she will be working as an ambassador for the British Olympic Association (BOA).

"It will be nice to be up in that area for a while," she said.

"I have happy memories of the farm.

"I would run up the field to see my dad.

"People ask what got me into running and I think a lot of it was having that outdoor life."

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