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Greenwich Park could be damaged by plans to stage Olympic events in it, Games organisers have admitted for the first time.
The admission came today in the London Olympic Committee's provisional blueprint for holding the 2012 Games' equestrian events in the park.
The plan shows that the four-mile cross-country course to be created as part of the competition will carve straight through the park's historic flower garden, requiring many plants and shrubs to be removed.
The course will cut 10 times through avenues of closely spaced historic trees, some of which are hundreds of years old. Organisers say that no tree will be cut down but admit that some will have to be “pruned” to allow riders to pass.
The cross-country course will also run right underneath the park's most precious trees, an avenue of sweet chestnuts planted in the reign of Charles II and believed to be the oldest living things in London.
The course will run up and down the entire length of both sides of the avenue, meaning that the 350-year-old trees will probably also have to be substantially pruned.
The course will also pass through the park's boating pond, which will be turned into a water jump. A temporary 23,000-seat arena will be built in the lower part of the park, next to the National Maritime Museum, as well as warm-up tracks, stables and possibly hundreds of ancillary buildings.
But in the consultation leaflet which came with the plans, Olympic organisers say: “We guarantee to repair any damage caused to the park during the Games,” although they add: “Research shows that no long-term damage is made to a site after equestrian events.”
The admission was seized on by campaigners who say the park is “too small” and too full of historic features to host the Games. Michael Goldman, spokesman for No to Greenwich Olympic Equestrian Events, said: “This confirms what we've been saying all along. The park will be damaged.”
Campaigners said that despite the promise to “repair” the damage it might not be possible to do so. “If a tree branch has been lopped off, you can't just regrow it,” said one. “If a plant is uprooted, it may simply die.”
Today's statement undermines previous claims by Colin Buttery, director of parks at the Royal Parks Agency, that there will be “minimal impact from the course”. But a spokesman for London 2012 said: “It is not an admission that damage will be caused. It is a promise just in case.”
Reader views (13)
Another example of the money-grabbing short-term culture that has finally saturated Britain. It turns out the only reason for the ONLY reason for choosing the park is American producers desire for a fantastic back-drop. Idiots.
- Adam Hart, London
We should not stand by and let Greenwich park be destroyed, just so the Olympic organisers can have a pretty backdrop for their television coverage! football events are apparently being farmed out to Manchester and Cardiff, so why not use Windsor or Badminton?
- Michael Gallagher, greenwich, london
Or as an alternative there is the area of Hainault Forest to the east of London and in sight of Docklands, just at the end of the central line?? It's already got a 3 1/2 mile cross country running course there and doesn't have the historic areas to destroy like greenwich
- John Whitby, Peterborough, Cambs
I think building the course at Greenwich is not a bad idea, as much as it will ruin the plants and trees it will create a bigger attraction to the park.
- Sabrina Awan, Clapham, Bedford
Greenwhich is not suitable it is far to small,i for one don't want to see tis beautiful park carved up beyond recognition. I have owned & competed horses for over 20 years, but it is just not safe to hold this event at greenwhich. The influx of people will be huge + the horses competitors, horseboxes etc already at the park will be too much for greenwhich. Hickstead or Windsor seem a much more obvious & safe option. Leave greenwhich alone
- Jeanette, London
Being an eventing fan, having attended numerous successful and long standing events and knowing Greenwich, I think and have said for a long time, that Greenwich is a RIDICULOUS venue for the eventing. Talk about a huge way to bleed money, destroy a historic park and curtail ticket sales!!! It is a ludicrous idea and one that needs to be shelved ASAP, I have no idea why the 2012 committee are so adamant that this is where the event must take place. My vote goes to Blenheim, who have the infrastructure, space and existing 3* course which can be easily adjusted to make sure that the event is a huge success with no impact on historic gardens, but with an impressive, historic backdrop.
- Mrs Davies, Burford, Oxfordshire
The reason the flower garden is in now in the equation is because at Bid stage the cross country route appeared to have been mapped out on a plan which bore the wrong scale. When the correct one was applied the course was too short for the minimum Olympic distance cross country event distance, so they are no doubt frantically scrabbling around now to find some extra space. The site plan with the wrong scale on it has now mysteriously disappeared from the equestrian federations' website - readers will notice that the map shown above has no scale.
- Peter Richards, Peckham, South London
Well it's kind of obvious that Greenwich Park is not really suitable for an equestrian cross-country. Arguments that this will "put Greenwich on the map" are of course childish. If the Council and Cllr Peter Brooks, responsible for regeneration within the Borough really want to do something useful, they should move the cross country to Woolwich Common. It has about the same
useful area as the Park once you allow for the Observatory and other horse-free areas. Woolwich Common at present used by dog walkers, blackberry pickers (in season) anbd courting couples (weather permitting). The shooting will be at Woolwich Barracks, about half a mile away (so the shooting won't frighten the horses, as was commented by someone who didn't know what he was talking about at an earlier meeting). The new DLR extension and station at Woolwich clinches the argument for what is really a no-brainer, don't you think?
- Alan, Blackheath London
Is Damien Vaugh of Greenwich Millennium Village taking the michael?
“Many people, especially Londoner's (your readers) may never have attended an equestrian event in their lifetime. This will be a great opportunity for families with young children, elderly, disabled and those without private transport to participate in a wonderful event that is set in a stunning historic location”.
How many Londoners (NB, no apostrophe) does he seriously think will be able to get tickets to this inevitably expensive event with its massive proportion of the privileged corporates?
He clearly is not listening to the fears of Gilligan and thousands of others that the disruption and damage to the fabric of this wonderful and precious World Heritage resource are obviously beyond all the resources of the Royal Parks, the ODA, Locog to prevent and repair - trees, plants, roots, grassland, archaeological sites.
Take a tiny percentage of the £12 million budgeted for this event in Greenwich Park, take all of Damien Vaugh’ s families with young children, elderly, disabled who want to go (!) to an equestrian event somewhere more suited for it, and leave our iconic Greenwich Park alone.
- Park Enthusiast, Blackheath, London
There are notices in Greenwich park threatening chestnut pickers that touching trees could lead to criminal charges. Yet scores of trees, not due for surgery, will have to be pruned for the sake of 4 hours of cross country riding. Why should we trust the assurances of LOCOG, a privately-funded company, who are only concerned with meeting the demands of the IOC and the sponsors?
Imagine what it would be like constructing the 23000 arena, which is only 4000 short of the capacity of Charlton Athletic's stadium; and which is bound to result in closure of the bottom end of the Park for several months. This is where the children's playground, the boating pond, and the main recreational area are sited. The thousands of people who visit this part, especially at weekends, arrive by public transport and spend money in the town. If they are denied access to these areas, they will just stay away.
The organisers and the Council are in denial of any negative impact. They say that final assessments will not be available until Autumn 2009, by which time ofcourse they'll use the excuse that it's too late to move the venue.
Is the disruption to people and risk of damage to the ecology and archaeology of the Park really worth it, just so that some local people can spectate at an equestrian event or benefit from riding lessons? I think not. LOCOG should be looking at a Plan B.
- S D'Souza, London, UK
Damien, 'Many people..have never attended an equestrian event' for the good and simple reason that they don't give a stuff about them. On the other hand, many thousands of Londoners and visitors from all over the world love and visit Greenwich for what it is, the Delphi of the modern world.
I don't give a damn what the stipulations of the Olympic bid were because noone gave any Londoner a vote on the matter. Why not hold the volleyball in the Science Museum? That's an 'iconic' and 'dramatic' venue too.I'm sure the glass cases could be fully repaired afterwards.
Only someone with the cultural sensitivity of a baboon, or the highly-paid rent-boys of the Olympic circus, could think this is anything other than a vulgar, vandalistic outrage.
- Mdj, Leyton, e10 london
This is a really stupid plan and will cause huge destruction in an irreplaceable, historic and beautiful park.
No one is even considering the destruction that will be caused by hundreds of thousands of people trying to get near enough the course to see anything, the toilets and other facilities they will need and the damage they will do or the rubbish that will be trodden into the mud. You can't stick "pruned" branches back on a hundreds of years old tree and most of the transplanted plants will not survive and no one will do anything about it once it's too late. That's how it works here.
We have several wonderful purpose built courses in this country. Hickstead, Burleigh, Badmington etc. Why in the world aren't one or more of these being used and Greenwich left alone? It's the stupidest thing ever. Even using Blackheath, which is far bigger and has far few trees to damage and us just across the road from Greenwich park would make more sense than this.
Mad.
- Thalia, London
I have to agree that its necessary to protect any plants by removing and replacing them after the event. The choice of Greenwich Park seems to meet the brief which was;
- Be close to the Olympic village and the media centre. (It was a requirement by the London 2012 Bid Committee that the venue be within 30 minutes of the proposed Olympic village at Stratford, East London)
- Be accessible by public transport.
- Be visually stunning, particularly for television.
- Be cost effective.
- Unite all three Olympic disciplines.
Many people, especially Londoner's (your readers) may never have attended an equestrian event in their lifetime. This will be a great opportunity for families with young children, elderly , disabled and those without private transport to participate in a wonderful event that is set in a stunning historic location.
I agree that guarantees should be sought and given that the park will be restored, and even improved.
By 2012 the new entrance to the park, the adjoining new South Wing of the Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark will be completed.
The International Olympic Committee offered advice during the bid phase. The BEF, the FEI and LOCOG are very happy with Greenwich as a venue.
Greenwich Park was also chosen on its own merits and promises to be an iconic and visually stunning location.
By having Olympic events within close proximity of public transport also cuts down on travel and pollution which will further protect the environment.
- Damien Vaugh, Greenwich Millennium Village
