Tuesday, 18 March 2008

Olympic Wetlands?


The report (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/mar/17/olympics2012.regeneration) that the 2012 London Olympics will leave "east London an open space to rival Hyde Park" is interesting. The post-Olympic £200m plan for the area around the river Lea includes the offshoot Channelsea river earmarked to be a steep valley with trees to deliver an aura of "seclusion, mystery and ecology" and in close proximity to a reed, alder and dogwood-planted wetlands to "attract swallows and kingfishers" as well as the 'One Planet' ecology pavilion. A combined cooling, heating and power station on site is intended to be partially fueled (along with gas) by willow harvested from the park's wetland areas. Given what else is going into the location (lots of houses, restaurants, a smallish 25,000 capacity stadium, an events lawn for a further 50,000 people, BMX tracks, jogging routes, climbing walls, allotments etc) it may be difficult to deliver on some of the more sensitive bird life (too much disturbance?). Much of the development (although welcome) has the appearance of being a giant gardening/leisure project designed to make the housing and office space in the area more attractive to purchasers. Although the word 'ecology' is metaphorically pasted over much of the plan, this is not ecology as we know it, Jim. I can't help but feel that an opportunity will be somewhat missed!

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