The ODA is transforming former industrial land, much of it contaminated through years of industrial neglect, to create a total of 100 hectares of parklands that will provide a colourful setting and festival atmosphere for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond.

The southern part of the Park will focus on retaining the festival atmosphere from the Games, with riverside gardens, markets, events, cafes and bars in legacy. The landscape and public realm contract will include hard and soft landscape works, tree planting and the construction of the concourse which will link all the venues, entrances and parklands. The work, due to start in early 2010, will also include lighting, irrigation and drainage and delivering the London 2012 gardens stretching for half a mile between the Aquatics Centre and Olympic Stadium and celebrating centuries of British passion for gardens and plants.

ODA Head of Parklands and Public Realm John Hopkins said: 'This is an opportunity to be involved in creating one of the biggest urban parks of its type in Europe for 150 years for the London 2012 Games and legacy. The southern part of the park will provide a festival atmosphere during the Games, hosting the main spectator entrance, Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre and London 2012 gardens. In legacy it has been designed to retain this festival atmosphere for the enjoyment of people living around and visiting the area.'

The northern area of the Park 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.

Bam Nuttall is on track to start delivery of the northern section of parklands this spring and is currently procuring a number of specialist subcontractors and suppliers through a series of packages:

The ODA is working with the London Development Agency (LDA) 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.

• Four contractors have been shortlisted to supply approximately 500,000 wetland plants ready for planting next spring.
• Two separate soft landscape opportunities in the north of the Olympic Park have been advertised on CompeteFor which include soil profiling, tree planting, seeding and turfing, drainage, irrigation, kerbs and paths. Contractors are expected to be appointed this summer.
• Suppliers will shortly be appointed for around 2,000 semi-mature trees for the Olympic Park in time to begin planting in the winter of 2009 as planned.
• Over the coming years suppliers will be sought for thousands of younger woodland trees shrubs and other plants

Notes to editors

• Digital impressions of the parklands can be downloaded at  http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr121872803

• A prior information notice for the landscape and public realm south park works opportunity can be accessed at CompeteFor through the London 2012 Business Network www.london2012.com/business The pre-qualification questionnaire will be downloadable in the coming weeks. The ODA aims to appoint a contractor around the turn of the year ready to start work on track in early 2010.

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For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)20 3 2012 700.

The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.

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