Unlike previous Games, our Olympic Park development is recognised as an opportunity to regenerate an area. In my role as ODA Head of Sustainability and Regeneration I work with design teams and encourage them to think outside of the box, considering social and economic benefits as well as the environment in venue design.
I am satisfied that since the Sustainable Development Strategy launched a year ago we are exceeding our 90% target to recover materials on-site for reuse or recycling; reducing how much waste goes to landfill; and that the number of people working on site that were unemployed and from the five Boroughs is above the UK average.
As rewarding as this is, we still have a lot of work to do in the lead up to 2012 and beyond to make a real difference. We are now working closely with all our venue teams to ensure the 12 sustainability objectives are incorporated into this design of buildings and landscape. We are particularly excited that Elyo Suez have recently been selected as our preferred bidder for the energy centre. This will make a huge contribution towards our aims to reduce carbon emissions by 50% against business as usual in legacy mode.
Over the next 12 months we’ll be working on ensuring that once construction starts on the site in April the disruption to local residents is minimal and the environmental impact of the development is managed without incident. Importantly, the Legacy Masterplan Framework will be developed in the coming months and that will help shape the use, look and feel of the Olympic Park. It is important that as many people in the UK contribute to the plan to make the Park a place that everyone can benefit, use and enjoy.
For me the real indicator of success will be measured by our ability to deliver a lasting legacy for London and the UK, which is why sustainability is so important.
