The 2012 'green' Olympics aren't green enough, slams Town Hall report

22 June 2007

By Julia Gregory

TOWN Hall bosses have slammed the 2012 Olympics planners over their "lack of commitment" to use canals and rivers to transport materials during construction.

Building materials should be carried to the site by canal barge to prevent too many lorries thundering through the East End, Tower Hamlets council warns.

A report thrashed out on Thursday (June 21) blames "poor planning" and calls for 90 per cent of the site waste created to be recycled.

It criticises the Olympic Development Agency for a "lack of commitment to using water transport" during construction.

More use should be made of the Bow Back Rivers canal system with at least half the supplies arriving by barge.

That would honour promises that London Games will be the most sustainable in history, the report points out.

But there is also criticism of the venues themselves, after the park is competed.

"Waste issues have still not been addressed beyond the construction phase," the report claims.

"Provision for waste and recycling must be designed into the Olympics venues.

"A detailed waste and recycling management strategy is required before starting the Olympics."

Carbon emissions should also be cut by a fifth, says the council, and an 'air quality' assessment undertaken to look at the potential omissions from the Olympic biomass boilers and diesel generators.

The report is in response to the Development Agency's draft proposals which are before the five Olympic boroughs, including Tower Hamlets.