London 2012 celebrates iconic London landmarks with launch of pin badges
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today revealed the designs of the ‘Landmark London’ pin badges which will go on sale later this month. Each of the landmarks has now been re-created into a metal pin badge incorporating the London 2012 logo. (Images of the pin badges can be downloaded here)
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) revealed the designs of the ‘Landmark London’ pin badges which will go on sale later this month. Each of the landmarks has now been re-created into a metal pin badge incorporating the London 2012 logo.
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of LOCOG presented each London Borough Leader with the first pin badge produced for their borough at a London Councils Leaders’ Committee earlier this morning.
In September 2009 LOCOG and London Councils launched the ‘Landmark London’ competition. Londoners were invited to vote for the most iconic landmark in their borough that they would most like to see featured in an individual pin badge. Winning landmarks range from visitor attractions, theatres and museums to windmills, clock towers and bridges.
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of LOCOG, said: “London is a fantastically diverse city and the variety of landmarks chosen by Londoners to represent their local areas highlights this perfectly. These pin badges are a fantastic way to showcase to the UK and the rest of the world what a wonderful city London is and I am delighted to see how proud people are of their city and specific borough. I hope they will wear their pin badges with pride.”
Councillor Merrick Cockell, Chairman of London Councils, said: “With the Winter Games over, the spotlight has truly turned on London. We are delighted to have worked so closely with LOCOG on a project that really demonstrates how important London 2012 will be for the whole capital. We cannot wait to show off our city in 2012, and these badges will be a fantastic introduction to just some of the many delights London has to offer.”
The Landmark London pin badges will be available for wider sale across London in the coming weeks from Runner’s Need, Crest of London, World Duty Free and the Museum of London.
The winning landmarks by borough are:
Barking and Dagenham: The Catch A gateway public artwork for Barking Town Centre reflecting the area’s Saxon heritage and involvement in the fishing industry.
Barnet: The Archer Statue Sculpted by Eric Aumonier and located outside East Finchley tube station, the archer points his arrow to the opening of a 17.3 mile tunnel running all the way to Morden.
Bexley: Hall Place A Grade I listed house built for the Lord Mayor of London during the reign of King Henry VIII, now houses the Bexley Museum Collection, a tourist information centre and riverside tearooms.
Brent: Neasden Mandir Temple Popularly known as ‘Neasden Temple’, The Mandir is a masterpiece of Indian craftsmanship and continues to attract over half a million visitors annually.
Bromley: Crystal Palace Transmitting Station and Park Crystal Palace Park hosted the great exhibition of 1851, showcasing the glasshouse with over a million feet of glass. It is the site of the BBC’s main broadcast tower in London, built in the 1950s. The Athletics Stadium within the grounds hosts international track and field competition.
Camden: St Pancras Station When it opened in 1868, St Pancras’s ironwork train shed was the largest enclosed space in the world. The Grade I listed building has recently been refurbished and is the jewel of the crown of the High Speed 1 railway.
City of London: Tower Bridge Designed by Sir Horace Jones and Sir John Wolfe-Barry, the Bridge was built over the Thames in 1894. It is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world.
City of Westminster: Westminster Abbey Steeped in more than 1000 years of history, it has been the coronation church since 1066.
Croydon: Croydon Clock Tower Built in 1895 as the borough’s Town Hall, it now also houses the Croydon Museum and art galleries, a cinema and library.
Ealing: Ealing Studios One of the great names in British entertainment, Ealing Studios is famous around the world as the home to the great Ealing comedies of the 1940’s and 1950’s. It s the oldest film studio in the world still in production.
Enfield: Forty Hall Forty Hall was built in 1629. This Grade I listed building it provides a link with Enfield’s past while providing the borough with an outstanding venue for many arts and cultural events.
Greenwich: Old Royal Observatory A monument to navigational research, this is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and is famous as the source of the Prime Meridian line, dividing East from West (longitude 0° 0′ 0”). The Observatory galleries unravel time, space and astronomy; the Planetarium lets visitors explore the heavens.
Hackney: Hackney Empire Each Christmas a cosmopolitan, diverse audience visits for sensational shows. International opera companies, famous orchestras, leading touring productions, top comedians and musicians have all appeared.
Hammersmith and Fulham: Hammersmith Bridge Hammersmith Bridge was built in 1887 as a replacement for the original suspension bridge dating from 1827. The present bridge was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette.
Haringey: Alexandra Palace ‘Ally Pally’ finally opened in 1875, two years after it was destroyed by fire. Damaged again by fire in 1980, it now has event halls, a public ice rink and parklands.
Harrow: St Mary’s on the Hill This beautiful church is visible for miles around; it has a history going back 900 years.
Havering: Upminster Windmill This Grade II listed building was built by local farmer James Noakes in 1803. The windmill continued to grind wheat and produce flour until 1934.
Hillingdon: Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Centre Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Centre will have the first new 50m indoor pool in London for 40 years.
Hounslow: Chiswick House Built in the mid-1700’s by Sir Edward Seymour, the house is considered to be the finest surviving example of Palladian architecture in Britain.
Islington: St John’s Gate, Clerkenwell The In the original Tudor Gate House to the Priory’s English headquarters, visitors can see the Priory church and 12th century crypt.
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: Natural History Museum The building was designed in 1865 by Alfred Waterhouse to house Sir Hans Sloane’s extensive collection of natural curiosities.
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames: Telephone Boxes sculpture (London Road) A sculpture by David Mach, commissioned in 1988 for the new relief road, these disused red telephone boxes have been tipped up to lean against one another in an arrangement resembling dominoes.
Lambeth: London Eye At 135 metres, The London Eye is the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel, with 40 kilometre panoramic views on a clear day. It has welcomed over 30 million visitors to date.
Lewisham: Horniman Museum Victorian tea trader Frederick John Horniman began collecting specimens, musical instruments and artefacts from around the world in the 1860s, and the growing collection was moved to a bespoke museum in 1901.
Merton: Wimbledon Centre Court (AELTC) Centre Court has seen a number of changes since its first match in 1877. It is recognisable the world over and recent additions include a fully retractable roof.
Newham: Three Mills Three Mills and its surrounding waterways is a beautiful conservation area for industrial heritage and astonishingly abundant wildlife.
Redbridge: Churchill Statue On Woodford Green stands a statue of Sir Winston Churchill, Britain’s wartime leader who was MP for Wanstead and Woodford for 40 years.
Richmond upon Thames: Richmond Park London’s largest park with 2,500 acres of hills, woodlands, gardens and grassland with stunning views as far as St Paul’s Cathedral.
Southwark: Globe Theatre Performances and an education programme combine to create an international resource dedicated to the exploration of Shakespeare’s work and the playhouse for which he wrote.
Sutton: Honeywood Museum Located by Carshalton Ponds, Honeywood dates from the 17th century.
Tower Hamlets: Tower of London Founded by William the Conqueror in 1066-7, this is one of the world’s most famous fortresses, and one of Britain’s most visited historic sites.
Waltham Forest: Waltham Forest Town Hall The centrepiece of the impressive 1930s Civic Centre complex by P.D. Hepworth, completed during the early years of World War II.
Wandsworth: Battersea Power Station A Grade II listed building built in 1939. It was the first in a series of generators set up as part of the National Grid power distribution system, standardising the supply of electricity in England.
London 2012 programme International Inspiration set to leave long term global legacy
The team behind London 2012’s sports participation programme ‘International Inspiration’, Sebastian Coe (London 2012 Chair), Tessa Jowell (Olympics Minister) and Keith Mills (London 2012 Vice-Chair & Chair of International Inspiration Foundation), have moved to guarantee a long term global legacy for the first global sports participation programme ever delivered by an Organising Committee.
The London 2012 chiefs have met with President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and President of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee Carlos Arthur Nuzman at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games to discuss an extension of the programme through to the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio.
Following a presentation to encourage further participation from Olympic Family countries and investment from Olympic sponsors in the current programme, Coe, Jowell and Mills confirmed that they have begun discussions for the highly successful initiative to extend beyond the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This follows discussions at Government level lead by Olympics minister Tessa Jowell. Brazil is already part of the International Inspiration programme as one of the first countries to join the initiative, where over 450,000 children and young people have now engaged in sports projects within their schools and communities as a result of International Inspiration.
International Inspiration was developed as a result of the commitment made by the London 2012 bid to ‘reach young people all around the world and connect them to the inspirational power of the Games so they are inspired to chose sport’. With support from ambassadors including David Beckham, Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Denise Lewis and Colin Jackson, it is intended that the programme will enrich the lives of 12 million children across 20 countries by 2012 through the power of high quality and inclusive physical education, sport and play.
The programme has been running since 2007 and has already enriched the lives of 3.5 million young people in 12 countries, with full programmes in Azerbaijan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Jordan, India, Mozambique, Palau, Trinidad and Tobago and Zambia, and work now beginning in South Africa, Malaysia and Nigeria.
A filmed message of support from International Inspiration ambassador David Beckham shown to IOC members and Olympic sponsors highlighted that “We have an opportunity to change young lives through sport. Inspired by the Olympics, this programme will provide millions of children with the opportunity to participate in a sport and learn how to stay safe, how to play, how to keep healthy and in some cases, how to stay alive. We want every child to have that opportunity.”
Seb Coe, London 2012 Chair, said: “The international Inspiration programme is really the cornerstone of what London 2012 stands for – the vision to inspire young people, and our ambition to be the Games for Everyone.
“We’re here to encourage nations from around the world to take this opportunity to be part of a unique Olympic programme that will leave a truly global legacy. We ask for their support in helping us achieve our target of reaching 12 million children in 20 countries. For Carlos Arthur Nuzman to tell us that Rio 2016 would like to explore extending this initiative beyond 2012 is a major boost for us and the programme.”
Tessa Jowell, Olympics Minister, said: “International Inspiration is honouring the Singapore promise to change lives through sport. I’m delighted that there is now a real possibility it will become a lasting legacy since I secured agreement from the Rio bid team and Government that they will continue to support it. In addition to the sustained support of Government I hope that sponsors will see the opportunity to realise through International Inspiration the lasting change that the Olympic and Paralympic Games can deliver.”
Mr Nuzman, President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and President of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, said: “Brazil has 65 million youth under 18 years old. Across South America that number rises to 180 million. Extending International Inspiration to boys and girls from the State of Rio is only natural because the programme’s core ideas are aligned with our vision for Rio 2016, which includes transforming the lives of youth through sport, fostering values of friendship, excellence and respect.”
Keith Mills, London 2012 Vice-Chair & Chair of International Inspiration Foundation, said: “International Inspiration is a truly global programme, and provides an important opportunity for Olympic TOP partners to make a difference to the lives of millions of children.
“The Olympic TOP Partners are integral in making Olympic Games what they are today and we urge them to get involved. This programme, where it is and where it is going, will enrich and change lives across the world by linking sport with education and individual and community development.”
Sebastian Coe and Keith Mills have been joined in Vancouver by Inspirational Inspiration participants Di Andra Joseph and Mikyle Chaitsingh from East Mucurapo School in Trinidad & Tobago, who met with British Winter Olympic athlete Ellie Koyander at GE Plaza in Robson Square, Vancouver
International Inspiration is governed by an independent charitable foundation – the II Foundation – and is a unique partnership of public and private organisations. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has joined forces with the programme’s key delivery partners, UK Sport, UNICEF UK and the British Council, to bring International Inspiration to fruition as a core strand of the London 2012 international education programme. Other partners and funders of International Inspiration include the Department for Culture Media and Sport, Department for International Development, the Premier League, the British Olympic Association, the British Paralympic Association and the Youth Sport Trust.
International Inspiration has been supported and welcomed by the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee as an international legacy programme for London 2012. Throughout the development and implementation of International Inspiration the IOC has given significant support and the programme reflects the IOC’s commitment to international sport and youth development through established programmes such as Sport For All, and the inaugural Youth Olympic Games which will be staged in Singapore later this year.
Olympic Park inclusive design hailed as setting new standard for industry
The design of the Olympic Park has been praised for its inclusivity and accessibility, and highlighted as potentially changing the way future developments are designed.
The Olympic Delivery Authority’s ‘Inclusive Design Strategy’ was recognised at the Royal Town Planning Institute’s (RTPI) ‘Award for Equality and Diversity’ at an awards ceremony in London last week.
The judges’ comments stated: ‘The Olympic Delivery Authority has turned traditional design principles on their heads. By taking a holistic view of people’s needs, it is using the power of the Games to change the way that people think about designing places… There is a strong indication that these principles will influence future sports facilities design.’
The ODA published its ‘Inclusive Design Strategy‘ in September 2008, which set out the framework for how the Olympic Park will become the most accessible and inclusive in London. Practical examples include:
- wider pathways with smooth surfaces and seating and resting places at regular intervals;
- setting a new UK benchmark for wheelchair spaces and amenity seating;
- gentle gradients giving all users greater freedom of movement;
- clear and easily understood signage;
- excellent provision of baby changing facilities and buggy stores; and
- a range of accessible toilet facilities.
ODA Head of Design Jerome Frost said: ‘We want to ensure that people of all cultures, faiths and ages and disabled people find the Olympic Park welcoming and easy to use in 2012.
‘Inclusive and accessible design principles have always been at the heart of our plans and we have embedded them into the ODA’s procurement, design and construction processes. An integrated approach across all buildings, open spaces, parklands, infrastructure and public transport means that we will be able to go further than any previous Olympic Park.
‘After the Games, the most accessible sporting venues in London and an inclusive public park and will be left for the local community. Aside from the physical legacy, we hope we can set a precedent for the industry and future developments will meet the same high inclusivity standards.’
Bridge boost for London 2012 rowing and canoe sprint venue
A new bridge has been lifted into place at Eton College Rowing Centre, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced today, keeping plans on track for enhanced Rowing and Canoe Sprint facilities for the London 2012 Games. The new bridge provides increased access to the finish line area of the venue and improved areas for athlete warm-up.
Construction work is well underway to enhance the venue’s existing facilities to provide improved facilities for athlete warm-up and Canoe Sprint events during the London 2012 Games. A key part of the enhancement works has now been completed with work to widen the entrance to the return lane finished and a new 50m bridge lifted into place.
ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: ‘Eton College Rowing Centre is a first-class venue and the enhancements we are delivering will create the best possible facilities for the world’s best athletes to use in 2012. Lifting a new bridge into the finish line area completes a key part of the enhancement works and keeps us on track to deliver improved facilities well before the Games begin in 2012.’
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: ‘Dorney Lake is already a superb facility which will be further enhanced by this work. The widening of the return lane offers improved areas for athletes’ boats during warm up and cool down between races and the new bridge provides increased access to the finish line area which will be the centre of attention during the Games. This is a world class venue and it is exciting to see the enhanced facilities take shape.’
Construction work on the enhanced facilities at the Eton College Rowing Centre began in September last year, starting with the demolition and removal of the venue’s original finish line area bridge and groundworks to widen the entrance to the return lane. With the widened entrance in place, the new 50m-span bridge, weighing 250 tonnes, has now been lifted into place using a 1200-tonne crane.
Further enhancement works are continuing on site, including the construction of a cut-through between the competition lake and the return lane with a new bridge over the cut-through, and the upgrade of the existing gravel/stone access road up to the competition venue for use during the Games. The Eton Dorney enhancement works are expected to be complete in spring 2010.
Key Olympic Park utilities building up-and-running
An essential new utilities building in the Olympic Park is now operational, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced.
Key architectural elements have been included in the construction of the pumping station to create a visually interesting building including the use of imagery on the external face of the building, feature lighting of the building and tower, landscaping works, and the use of striking colours on key pieces of equipment.
ODA Director of Infrastructure and Utilities, Simon Wright, said: ‘The Pumping Station delivers another essential building block in a new network of utilities that will serve the Olympic Park for generations to come. While the new sporting venues in the Olympic Park will be the main attraction in 2012, the utilities buildings we are constructing will be every bit as essential in helping us deliver a successful Games and a lasting legacy from 2012. The use of key design elements ensure the pumping station is not just functional but also another building of architectural interest in the Olympic Park.’
Design elements
- Pumping station built as a circular building to reflect engineering used in sewer shafts beneath the ground
- Images have been applied to the exterior of the Pumping Station building of Sir Joseph Balzagette’s drawings of a Victorian sewage pumping station to depict the history of the London sewer network and its Victorian origins
- Two large cylinders housed on outside of building that form part of the air extraction system have been painted pink – the striking pink cylinders have already been nicknamed Pinky and Perky by site workers
- The building includes a 12m-high ventilation tower which includes a blue light at the top to create a ‘beacon’ in the south of the Olympic Park
Construction
- Construction of Pumping Station and sewer networks started in June 2008 and more than 100 workers were involved at the peak of activity
- The pumping station building is 6m high and the circular outer shell measures 20m across
- Beneath pumping station structure is a 16m-deep, 12.5m diameter shaft connecting the pumping station with 1.8km of sewer tunnels of 1.2m diameter which have been constructed throughout the Olympic Park.
- The complex network of new sewers had to be constructed around a number of obstacles throughout the Olympic Park including 4 rivers and watercourses and 2 operational railway lines
- Sewer networks collect waste water from sites of main venues and buildings in the Olympic Park, and transport it to the pumping station building in the south of the Park where it is then discharged into the Northern Outfall Sewer
- The Olympic Stadium is set to be the first Olympic Park venue to have a permanent connection with the new pumping station and sewer system
Sustainability features
- A Living Green roof included on pumping station building to help enhance ecological value and biodiversity of Olympic Park by attracting local wildlife
- The roof will have 150sq m of biodiverse space consisting of meadow and grassland planting
- The building will include 12 boxes for bats, black redstart and house sparrows
- External landscaping designed so that surface water runs-off to far corner of the site where a Field Maple tree has been planted to help give further visual interest to the building
London 2012 will serve best of British food at the Olympic Games
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today outlined its vision for food at the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2012 – the largest peace-time catering operation in the world. London 2012’s vision outlined within the document is to provide a wide choice of food and drink for all customers at Games time, and to ensure that the best of British food is on offer
- Over 14 million meals will be served during the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, across 40 locations. LOCOG is responsible for feeding the 15,000 athletes across the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It is estimated that to do this will require in excess of:
- 25,000 loaves of bread
- 232 tonnes of potatoes
- 82 tonnes of seafood
- 31 tonnes of poultry items
- 100 tonnes of meat
- 75,000 litres of milk
- 19 tonnes of eggs
- 21 tonnes of cheese
- 330 tonnes of fruit and vegetables
London 2012 Chief Executive Paul Deighton outlined the importance of the document: ‘Catering for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games is a monumental task. We want athletes and spectators to have the widest choices of food available and we want that food, wherever possible, to be British.’
In 2010, LOCOG will also launch a Food Charter, a campaign to encourage organisations throughout the events, catering and hospitality sectors to commit to supporting and implementing local, seasonal, healthier and sustainable standards across the industry.
In line with London 2012’s sustainability commitments, the London 2012 Food Vision sets out benchmark and aspirational standards in how it sources food. The benchmark standards will be the most challenging ever set by a summer Games. LOCOG has set Red Tractor standard as the benchmark standard across meat, fruit, vegetables, salads, cereals and dairy. All dairy products, beef, lamb and poultry must be British.
In addition, bananas, tea, coffee and sugar will be Fairtrade or ethically sourced and traditional British cheese such as cheddar must be British. Eggs must be British Lion mark free range and RSPCA Freedom Food Certified chicken will be available. All chocolate sold will be Fairtrade or ethically sourced. All fish will be sustainable, including the complete exclusion of species and stocks identified by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) as ‘fish to avoid’ and all wild-caught fish meeting the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
The London 2012 Food Vision has been developed in consultation with the London 2012 Food Advisory Group, which includes representatives from DEFRA, Food Standards Agency, the National Farmers Union and Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming.
The publication of this document coincides with the beginning of a major procurement push for LOCOG in the catering sector to supply food, staff and catering outlets. Opportunities exist for suppliers of all sizes and from all locations – contracts will be advertised via CompeteFor, the London 2012 business portal. Any companies interested should register their details – see www.london2012.com/business for more details.
As part of discussions with potential catering suppliers, LOCOG will ask the industry to look at ways the aspirational standards can be adopted in a commercially viable way.
Catering staff will also be given extra training to ensure a uniform standard of customer care, as well as food safety and hygiene at all Games venues. London 2012 aims to particularly focus on the London Host Boroughs to support the staffing of food outlets at Games-time.
The chosen caterers will join London 2012 commercial partners Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Cadbury which will also be supplying food and drink and will provide the only branded products on sale. Current projections are that McDonald’s catering at the Olympic Park will amount to about 20% of the total food provision available to the public. All soft drinks and mineral water will be provided by Coca-Cola who are committed to providing wide variety of drinks including still, sparkling, low and no sugar, 100% juice, water, sports and energy drinks.
In addition, LOCOG has confirmed that free drinking water will be made available at all Games venues.
Paul Deighton added: ‘We want to ensure everyone at the Games has a fantastic experience and key to that is the food and drink that’s available – we want it to be affordable, sustainable and celebrating the fantastic diversity and quality of what Britain has to offer.
‘We also want to ensure that there is a great legacy for the catering industry in this country, ensuring it is even better equipped to provide quality, sustainable food and drink for events both large and small.
‘Over the next year we will work with our partners and the catering industry to deliver a solution that works in 2012 itself and for years to come.’
Olympic gold medalist and London 2012 Sustainability Ambassador James Cracknell commented: ‘As well as the millions of ticket holders and spectators, the Organising Committee is also responsible for feeding more than 15,000 athletes across both the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
‘When you’re an athlete at a Games, you want to know that the right food is available at the right time – it’s a vital part of your preparation. The approach being taken for the food provision at London 2012 is the same for both athletes and spectators – responsibly sourced and ensuring a wide choice.’
Peter Kendall, President of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) commented: ‘London 2012 is often described as “the largest peace-time catering operation in the world” and I’m very pleased that LOCOG recognises the important role that UK farmers will play in providing 14 million high quality meals during this time.
‘Committing to procure UK Red Tractor assured food wherever seasonally possible delivers on LOCOG’s promise to provide fresh, quality food for all at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. Never before has such a large scale catering contract had such sustainable procurement standards and I hope that this can act as a blueprint for minimum catering standards in the future.”
David Clarke, chief executive of Assured Food Standards, which runs the Red Tractor scheme, commented: ‘We are delighted that LOCOG are committed to sourcing Red Tractor certified food that represents high standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection. This initiative provides a great opportunity to communicate an extremely positive message that the food provided to everyone involved in the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will be fully traceable and has been produced to strict standards from farm to pack.’
Norfolk growing over 300,000 Olympic Park wetland plants for UKs largest urban river planting
Over 300,000 wetland plants are being grown in Thetford, Norfolk for the 100 hectare Olympic Park.
The UK’s largest ever urban river and wetland planting will help create a colourful riverside setting and festival atmosphere for the London 2012 Games and new space for people and wildlife in legacy.
Over 30 species of native reeds, rushes, grasses, sedges, wet wildflowers and irises have been grown initially by Salix in its nursery on the Gower peninsular in Wales with around a third grown from cuttings and seeds collected in and around the Olympic Park before construction started in 2008. The plants are now being grown-on in waterbeds and pallets in Thetford designed and built by the company in Thetford before being planted in the Olympic Park from next spring
The Olympic Park parklands will regenerate and open up the waterways that crisscross the area for the public and wildlife. Visitors to the Park during the Games and in legacy will enjoy sloping riverbanks, new riverside cycle and foot paths, wetlands, reedbeds, ditches and swales, ponds and rare wet woodlands. The wetland plants in these areas will create new habitats for a range of native and rare species.
Visiting Norfolk ODA Chairman John Armitt said: ‘The plants growing in Norfolk will help regenerate the Olympic Park waterways to create habitats for wildlife and help ‘future proof’ the park and surrounding built-up areas against climate change and flooding. Wetlands, ponds, swales and widened rivers bristling with plants will help manage flood water and create fantastic new spaces for the public and wildlife.
‘We are on track to start creating the parklands and planting trees shortly and this contract is another great example of the companies across the UK helping to delivery the London 2012 Games working directly for the ODA or our contractors.’
London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe said: ‘We set out to ensure that the Olympic Park was just that – a park which as well as being home to fantastic sporting venues, can be enjoyed by local residents, visitors and families for generations to come. The fact that these plants are being nurtured in Norfolk shows how the benefits of hosting the Games are being felt far and wide throughout the country – economic benefits for sure, but also a fantastic sense of pride that the entire nation is part of the Games in 2012.’
Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: ‘The Olympic Park will house a spectacular range of plants and flowers as well as world-class sporting venues that will leave east London with a beautiful park, teeming with wildlife for generations to come. The fact that these plants are growing in Norfolk after starting their life in Wales is further proof that the benefits of London 2012 are being felt across the nation.’
Richard Ellis, chair of East of England Development Agency (EEDA), said: ‘It is great news that a London 2012 Games prestigious contract is being delivered from Norfolk. It is testament to the ambition and innovation of businesses in the region to be the best.
‘EEDA has invested in the creation and development of the CompeteFor website and nearly 10,000 businesses in the region have already signed up. We continue to invest, in partnership, with Business Link to support for businesses to maximise their opportunities. Workshops are being held in locations across the region over the next few months.’
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has been consulting the London Wetland Centre in Barnes on species selection, planting methods and protection during establishment and with British Waterways on water level management within the park to support the wetland plants. This is alongside consultation with Natural England, the Environment Agency and CABE space.
The Olympic Park will create a green backdrop for the Games and a new green space in legacy for people and wildlife which will host the London 2012 legacy sports facilities including the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Velopark, multi-sports arena and Eton Manor outdoor sports complex.
The southern part of the Park will focus on retaining the festival atmosphere from the Games, with riverside gardens, markets, events, cafes and bars. The northern area will use the latest green techniques to manage flood and rain water while providing quieter public space and habitats for hundreds of existing and rare species from kingfishers to otters.
The London Development Agency (LDA) has been leading the legacy planning for the Olympic Park site. This work will be now be taken forward by the new Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), while the LDA will continue to deliver Olympic skills and business opportunities for Londoners.
The ODA is working with the OPLC to ensure the parklands fit into the Legacy Masterplan Framework – a spatial plan for the development of the Olympic Park site after the 2012 Games which will include the long-term management and maintenance of the parklands. For more information about the plans visit www.legacynow.co.uk