Downing Street Says » 2012 Olympics

The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) reported that the ODA sustainability report showed how the 2012 Games could set new standards for sustainability. Measures included a low waste and low carbon transport system, a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions, at least 20% of materials used in permanent venues being recycled, and a reduction of waste with 90% of materials removed from the site after the Games being recycled. There would also be an emphasis on sustainability in a different sense in that the aim was to leave a legacy, not just for 2012, but for years afterwards. The legacy would include the largest urban park in Europe for 150 years; 3,850 new homes created from the athletes’ village, part of the 9,000 new homes in the Olympic park after the games, many for key workers; and 5 new sports facilities in the park.

Asked about concerns over funding the Games and how cost overruns would be met, the PMOS replied that first and foremost there were discussions going on between DCMS and the Treasury and we should not get in the way of those. Secondly, what needed to be recognised was the progress that had been made to date. In terms of financial planning we were ahead of Sydney who submitted their budget 2 years before the Games; and ahead of Beijing who waited until 4 years before the Games to publish theirs. It needed to be recognised that part of what made our bid different was the emphasis that we had put on the legacy. Today people would see the "before" picture of what this area is like now, it was not a pretty picture. What would be left for years and decades after the Olympics and what we were aiming for, was a legacy of homes and facilities and a regeneration of a poor part of London which people would then be able to enjoy for generations after the Games.

Put to him that all this sounded very similar to what the Government said ahead of the Millennium Dome being built, the PMOS replied that he disagreed. The Dome was the Dome and the Olympics were completely different. In terms of the degree of planning, the IOC had been very complimentary about where it thought London was on the planning graph and on getting to grips with the issue. It recognised that we were much further ahead than other cities had been at this stage. We were being ambitious because we were trying to turn around a poor part of London and turn it in to something that would last for generations. There was nothing wrong with that ambition, but equally we did need to go through the processes of delivering it. This was precisely why we were facing up to the issues now rather than at a later stage in the process.

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» Tuesday, January 23, 2007

2012 Olympics

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