London 2012 - ODA Statement

"As Acting Chairman of the ODA I want to make it clear that the ODA Board does not accept the version of events that Jack Lemley has set out to the media in recent days. He has, for example, presented the issue of land remediation of the Olympic Park site as though this were a new discovery for the project. It is not.

"The Stratford site is complex and much of the land will need remediating before construction. This was known from the very start of the Bid process. We have had an expert team doing soil investigation work over recent months. It is the same team that who successfully worked on the Greenwich Peninsula.

"At the September Board meeting chaired by Mr Lemley there was a detailed presentation from these contractors. They indicated that levels of contamination assessed to date are in line with expectations and that the time allowed for remediation appears to be adequate.

"At the same meeting Mr Lemley registered some of his concerns but admitted he had not seen or read any of the data or reports from the contractors.

"Since September CLM, the ODA’s Delivery Partner, has been carrying out a full review of the ODA’s programme. Its current assessment is that, based on the planned site access, the site enabling works and remediation can be completed within the time allowed by the 2:4:1 programme. It should be remembered that Mr Lemley himself was the architect of this 2:4:1 schedule which we are currently meeting and which puts the focus firmly on planning in the early stages of the project.

"Mr Lemley has also expressed his frustration with the Compulsory Purchase Order process for the Olympic Park site. We however will not ride roughshod over local communities. Their support was invaluable in helping to win the Games and we must treat them fairly and take them with us as we move forward. There is due process in this country and we will respect it.

"As has been widely acknowledged the financing requirement for the overall programme will be higher for reasons that have been explained. Mr Lemley will know that costs have not been rising exponentially. Indeed since May the Olympic Delivery Authority has been working in partnership with the DCMS, the Treasury and LOCOG to bear down on costs through the review instigated by Government post Singapore. Given the sums of public money under discussion this was always going to take time to resolve. We are confident that agreement will be reached shortly and that the ODA will have a robust and realistic budget.

"The ODA Board would also like to make it clear that we have seen no signs of unreasonable pressure from DCMS and Treasury to cut costs. Of course there has been challenge, as there should be, but the only reductions made to the May figures have been those which the ODA and LOCOG have identified as achievable.

"The timetable for the Olympic Programme will of course be very demanding. Everyone understands that. Inevitably there will be problems along the way. But it is the Board’s view that the project has made a strong start. We have hit all our milestones to date. We are determined to deliver and we are encouraged that the IOC remains pleased with progress as they made very clear in their statement last week."

ENDS

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