the following is an edit of an article from
www.nolondon2012.org
Olympics and the Bow Backs: Direct local environmental impacts
The Olympic zone incorporates the Bow Back Rivers. These comprise the Old River Lea, Waterworks River, City Mill River, Pudding Mill River and Bow Back River.
The waterways flow through an area typified by dereliction, mainly old factories and vacant land. The neglect of the area has, however, been extremely beneficial in terms of wildlife. Natural colonisation by a large variety of native and exotic species supplemented, in places, by tree and shrub planting (the bulk being the work of volunteers), has provided the area with a green 'backdrop' where, in places, it is hard to believe you are in London. The limited amount of vegetation management has resulted in the habitats having a 'wild' feel, as opposed to the frequently cut towpaths of the nearby canal system, where few species get a chance to flower.
Disuse and neglect has also benefited wildlife, and species that are frequently seen in the area are kingfisher, heron, coot, moorhen, mallard, mute swan, green woodpecker, grey wagtail, great-crested and little grebes, dunnock, tits and kestrel, as well as the summer visiting sand martins. Small mammals are frequent in the rough grasslands, as evidenced by hovering kestrels, and there is a rich invertebrate population , which includes a number of notable and rare species. The Olympic proposals will destroy all the existing habitat and thus the associated wildlife. Proposals to provide mitigation in terms of translocating species and providing alternative habitat are unlikely to be successful, and it is only legally protected species that will be the focus of such work.
A new 'park' is promised post Olympics, providing a greater amount of open space than now exists. This park will not be created until 2020 (8 years after the games), and meanwhile public amenity of the area will be lost. There are, as yet, no financial arrangements for the management of a new park, and no organisation has claimed they want to run it. By 2020, will anyone remember a park was promised?
Claims that these will be a 'green' Olympics are related to recycling, energy generation and use, i.e. green technology, in terms of the environment, they are anything but green. For an area typified as brownfield, apart from the waterways, there are over 500 mature trees in the area - all are to be felled.
The river system of the Lower Lea is, according to the Environment Agency, extremely complex and is very important in terms of its flood relief function. The network of channels and their associated wildlife is probably unique in London.
Over the years, the Lower Lea Project/Lea Rivers Trust, have carried out improvements along the waterways, which has involved planting, vegetation management and habitat creation, as well as clean-ups. It has also run an education programme and organised walks which has introduced thousands of children and adults to the waterways.
The olympic proposals will involve the complete relandscaping of the area, and include lowering towpaths and the creation of land bridges, all intended to get people onto the site quickly. The effect of the number and size of bridges will be to virtually culvert the waterways. The shading effect of bridges means that nothing grows below them, either on land or in the water. The network of waterways will effectively be fragmented and their 'habit corridor' (i.e. continuity) function lost. Proposals to landscaping the bridges is, not only problematic, but does not replace the river environment. Apart from their effect on habitat and wildlife, the bridges will destroy the attractiveness of the towpaths for walking or cycling. Post Olympics, many of the bridges will remain as 'legacy.
The Olympic stadium will rise to 50 metres and its shading effect on the surrounding land and waterways will be significant.
A benefit of a successful bid, it is claimed, will be the removal of invasive species from the waterways and the clean-up of the River Lea (doubtful, given that they are not looking at Deephams because it is outside the Olympic zone). Apart from that, it is Thames Waters' responsibility. It has also been said (by Ken himself) that if the bid is not successful, the regeneration of the Lower Lea will not be of as high a quality! Does that mean the Lower Lea was going to get low quality regeneration ? because an Area Development Framework was being developed before the bid was an option.
