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 today 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  

Notes to Editors

1. Digital impressions of the wetlands and riverways in the Olympic Park can be downloaded at  http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr129149873

2.  LDA Design • Hargreaves Associates was selected to design the Olympic Park parklands in spring 2008 and detailed designs were published in November 2008.

3. Bam Nuttall has been appointed to manage the delivery of the northern section of parklands, which includes procuring and managing a number of specialist subcontractors and suppliers through a series of packages, including for trees and plants. Five companies have been shortlisted to deliver the soft landscape of the south of the park and the ODA expects to appoint a contractor this autumn.

4. Following a competitive procurement through Competefor, an online ‘business dating agency’ matching companies to London 2012 opportunities, Salix was appointed to supply over 300,000 wetland plants for the Olympic Park including: Common Reed, Lesser Pond Sedge, Sweet Reed Grass, Slender tufted-sedge, Yellow Flag Iris, Purple Loosestrife, Reed Canary Grass,  Common Club Rush, Tussock Sedge,  Pendulous Sedge, Winter Mint and Marsh Marigold.

5. Salix River and Wetland Services specialises in the propagation of aquatic plants for landscaping and the production of pre-vegetated coir materials for environmentally sustainable river erosion control applications and grey water filtration. As well as being the largest producer of field grown coir products in the UK, Salix provides consultancy and installation services and supplies a range of high performance soil erosion control products.  Salix has delivered over 500 UK river and wetland projects (the equivalent to over 50km of river enhancements) including the award-winning Foss Dyke Rail embankment project. The Olympic Park opportunity has enabled Salix to expand its growing capabilities with the company's Norfolk nursery becoming the largest single site for the production of pre-established coir products in Europe.

6. Hilliers Nurseries in Hampshire is supplying over 2,000 semi-mature trees for the Olympic Park.

7. Bam Nuttall has selected Frost Landcapes Construction Ltd to undertake the west soft landscape package in the North Park, which includes the installation of drainage, irrigation, completion of the earthworks, planting of the trees and shrubs, installation of footpaths and terraced seating areas. The remaining soft landscape package for the east side will be awarded shortly.

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For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 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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