State Minister Siegfried Schneider, head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, announced it had agreed a clear plan for securing the land required to host the Games.

These included allaying fears over environmentalists’ concerns about the Stieranger green belt, the "Green Lung" of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which will now not be used.

The land around the golf course will also be preserved while Media Village will no longer require the use of any agricultural areas in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Instead, the media will be accommodated in a number of separate locations, including potentially the Federal Armed Forces barracks in Murnau. 

Bernhard Schwank, the new chief executive of Munich 2018, claimed that it was a major step forward in ending the dispute that was threatening to derail the bid.  

"The Munich 2018 Bid Committee is delighted by the outcome of the Bavarian Government’s talks with the representatives from Garmisch-Partenkirchen," he said.

"We feel the results are a huge step in the right direction for putting together a winning bid for Munich.

"We are delighted at the progress that has been made on enhancing and clarifying some of the core issues in the concept of the bid, especially those surrounding the proposed venues for the Media and Snow Villages."
 
The proposed location for the Snow Village, which will house all the athletes competing in alpine and Nordic competitions, agreed upon by all parties at the discussions, is on the current site of railway buildings and Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s Olympic Ice Stadium, built originally for the 1936 Games, the last time Germany hosted a Winter Games.

The buildings will be temporary, with no more than three floors, and the Ice Sports Centre and Alpspitzbad will remain integral components. 

Schneider (pictured) was convinced that the negotiations were successful for all participants and that they signal a significant breakthrough can now be formally agreed.

"Our discussions in Garmisch-Partenkirchen were extraordinarily constructive and positive from beginning to end," he said.

"This result speaks for itself.

"At every stage of the development of Munich 2018’s bid concept, we have sought feedback and communication from local people and landowners.

"This positive, proactive approach is now paying dividends.

"With this solution package, everyone wins."

Earlier this year, Munich 2018 changed its proposed venue for the biathlon and cross country skiing competitions to Schwaiganger Ranch after it fealed to reach agreement with all of the large number of land owners at the original choice of Oberammergau.

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