Olympics

A worker tends to one of the trees for Olympic Park

Green setting: the trees will transform London

Trees chosen for London 2012 Olympic Park

10 Jun 2009

The trees which will take pride of place at the Olympic Park were chosen today.

Around 2,000 semi-mature home-grown trees from Hilliers Nurseries in Hampshire were earmarked for the 100-hectare Olympic site in Stratford, east London.

Ash, alder, willow, birch, hazel, cherry, poplar, London plane and lime are among the different types of trees that are to be planted over the next three winters, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) said.

Viewing the rows of four to seven-metre tall Olympic Park trees, ODA chairman John Armitt said: "Seeing 2,000 semi-mature trees lined up ready to start being planted in the Olympic Park gives you a real sense of the green setting being created for the Games themselves and the transformation of this part of London in legacy.

"We are cleaning up former industrial land to create the largest urban park in the UK for over a century as a cornerstone for the regeneration of the area."

They are to help provide shelter from wind and sunshine at the venue, willow and alder will have riverside settings to help withstand flooding and species vulnerable to climate change have been avoided.

Hilliers Nurseries has worked on projects including the 1951 Festival of Britain, the Manchester Commonwealth Games Stadium and the Millennium Dome.

Reader views (3)

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John Armitt's enthusiasm for mature trees and the "green setting" of the Games should be reflected in a desire to prevent the desecration of Greenwich Park.

Why not have the equestrian events in this new park John? After all they are not going to cause any damage, are they, and you can restore the Olympic Park to its original condition afterwards, as you've promised to do with Greenwich.

- Sally Wainman, Ipswich Suffolk, 12/06/2009 09:59
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Let us have more street trees and a campaign to stop people killing street trees as well as concreting over their front gardens - that would make an excellent 'legacy' and right in everyone's street where people could enjoy it everyday.

- Helen, norwich, 12/06/2009 09:57
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Great, 2000 factory-farmed cloned trees, with all the individuality of McDonalds hamburgers. Each to be lovingly positioned on a computer screen.

As one would expect of the London Olympics spend-and-lie fest, Armitt doesn't mention that they CUT DOWN almost all existing trees on the site, over 2000, of all the types listed plus many more.
90 hectares of wildlife-rich green space wiped out, so a sterile 100 hectare park can built at colossal expense.

- Charles, London UK, 12/06/2009 09:48
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