The start of earthworks follows the announcement last week that a quarter of the Olympic Park has now been cleared and puts the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) firmly on track to have the majority of the Olympic Park cleared and cleaned by next summer – one of ten key milestones announced by the ODA to be achieved by the 2008 Beijing Games.

The earthworks on the media centre site, in the north-west of the Olympic Park, will involve stripping 8,500 cubic metres of high-quality fertile top soil which will then be stored on site for future use in the landscaping of the Olympic Park.

More than 80,000 cubic metres of lower quality soil beneath will then be excavated to prepare the platform for the construction of the IBC/MPC in late 2008.

The excavated material will be reused on site - transported to the Olympic Park Aquatics Centre site where it will be used to raise ground levels and prepare the site for the construction of the Aquatics Centre in 2008.

ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said:

"This is a very demanding programme but we continue to make significant progress in clearing the Olympic Park. The start of the first earthworks is another key milestone in the transformation of the area as we create one of the largest new urban parks in Europe for 150 years.

"The IBC/MPC will be a world-class facility for the media during the Games and will offer enormous benefits to the local community in legacy. The reuse of materials will also play an important role in the construction of the landmark Aquatics Centre, underlining our commitment to sustainable construction."

During the Games the broadcast and press centre will provide 24 hour, state of the art facilities to the 20,000 international and domestic accredited broadcasters, wire services, print journalists and photographers. After 2012 the IBC/MPC buildings offer a significant business opportunity for users, investors, developers or other organisations.

The new facilities will provide around 1.3 million square feet (120,000 square metres) of employment space, first class public transport links, and walking and cycling routes. The ODA is currently considering proposals from a range of companies and organizations to maximise the legacy employment potential of the IBC/MPC buildings.

Notes to Editors

Media Enquiries

Contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on 020 3 2012 700.

• Aerial footage of the Olympic Park is available to broadcast media on request
• The reuse of materials on site underlines the ODA's commitment to sustainability. In January 2007 the ODA published its Sustainability Development Strategy which set out a number of commitments. This included that at least 20 per cent of materials used in permanent venues will have previously been used somewhere else, or be a recycled product as the ODA looks to set new standards for the sustainable construction of major sports venues and infrastructure.
• On April 4 2007 the ODA published its Milestones to Beijing which included the aim of clearing and cleaning the majority of the Olympic Park by summer 2008. View the Milestones to Beijing document at http://www.london2012.com/en/news/publications/