A HISTORIC Haringey landmark should be considered as a high profile venue for the 2012 Olympics in London, councillors have urged.

The Lib Dems on Haringey Council have written to the London Olympics organisers asked for Alexandra Palace to be considered as one of the games' sporting venues.

They argue the iconic palace could host sports like badminton, boxing, and gymnastics, and urged the council to wade into the debate over where Olympic boxing matches should be staged.

Organisers had wanted boxing to take place at Wembley Arena, but have been forced to scrap the plans when faced with opposition from the British Olympic Association (BOA).

Now plans are on the table to stage rhythmic gymnastics and badminton at Wembley Arena, although no final decisions on those sports have been made.

Councillor David Winskill, Lib Dem spokesman for culture and sport, said: “Residents in Haringey are getting little if any direct benefit from the Olympics at the moment.

“News that badminton, boxing or gymnastics events need a new home is a fantastic opportunity for the council to be proactive and ambitious.

“This would be a great opportunity for the borough to be put on the Olympic map and for Alexandra Palace to get some well overdue investment.”

Cllr Winskill, Lib Dem leader Councillor Robert Gorrie, and Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, have written a joint letter to the Olympic organisers urging them to consider the palace as a venue.

The BOA reject Wembley Arena as a boxing venue because of the long journey times between there and the Olympic village. If the sport was hosted at Alexandra Palace, this could shave more than 20 minutes off the roundtrip journey.

However, the councillors conceded the palace would need investment to bring it up to scratch for the games - a prickly subject as the organising committee reportedly fight over Mayor Boris Johnson's demands for £20m to be cut from the budget.