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Allotments to be bulldozed to make way for 'green' olympics

Posted: 25/01/2007

A 100 year old community allotment garden is to be bulldozed to make way for the 2012 London Olymics - supposedly the 'greenest games ever'. Manor Garden Allotments lie in the middle of the Olympic Park site, and dismayed tenants say "our beautiful, productive vegetable gardens are due to be demolished to make way for a footpath, to be used for only four weeks during the 2012 Games despite the land being given in perpetuity".

A campaign is underway to protect the allotments and encourage a more imaginative Olympic development which includes this special place with its healthy, green lifestyles and vibrant community*.

Meanwhile, in what might be seen as a greenwash, the Olympic Delivery Authority has pledged to cut carbon emissions linked to the Olympic Park and other venues by 50 percent. The ODA, responsible for creating the Olympic venues and infrastructure, has just launched its strategy for what it claims will be the 'sustainable' delivery of London’s 2012 Olympics - the greenest in history, according to the Authority.

There are aims to reuse and recycle 90 percent of the demolition materials and at least 20 percent of materials used in permanent venues and residential areas would be recycled. Half of the construction materials will be transported to the Olympic Park by
rail and water.

Olympic Delivery Authority chief executive David Higgins said,
"Ensuring a sustainable approach to building the Games will help
ensure London 2012 is remembered not only as two weeks of fantastic
sporting action, but also as the greenest games to date."

However, the Construction Products Association, after attending the ODA strategy launch event, expressed concern that some important aspects will not deliver the sustainability objectives that all those involved hoped to see achieved.

Speaking after the launch, Michael Ankers, Chief Executive of the Association said; “We strongly support the principles behind this Strategy, especially the focus on the environmental and socially responsible sourcing of construction materials; the target to minimise waste; and the importance attached to the sustainable transport of materials to the site.

There are, however, some aspects of the Strategy that cause us concern. In particular, whilst the Association encourages the re-use and re-cycling of materials, setting a specific target measured by the value of the material will not necessarily deliver the sustainability objectives that are desired and will be extremely difficult to implement".

* To sign an online petition in support of the attempt to save the allotments, go to http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/manorgardens/

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