Tonight:
5°c
Axed ... timber roof is too costly for 2012 velodrome
Will Hurst and Matthew Beard22 May 2008
Olympic chiefs have ditched plans to use timber for the roof of the 2012 velodrome in a bid to stem spiralling costs.
Builders of the track cycling venue have been told to take the cheaper option of steel instead.
The decision comes as it was revealed that construction of the the main Olympic Stadium has been delayed by three months and the aquatics centre by five months.
Documents show the £496 million stadium will now not be completed until April 2011, and the £303 million pool complex by August 2011.
The change of plans for the " Pringleshaped" velodrome roof also follows the Olympic Delivery Authority's confirmation last month that the venue in the Olympic Park in Stratford had more than tripled in cost.
The ODA agreed contracts with builder ISG for £80 million compared to the original bid figure of £28 million. The Authority has now been forced to withdraw plans for wooden roofs on the aquatics centre as well as the velodrome amid financial concerns. But the move has angered lobbyists who accuse the ODA of diluting its commitments to environmentallyfriendly building materials.
Pro-timber lobbyist and Labour MP Paddy Tipping called on the ODA to increase its use of wood for venues, arguing that this is a key way to achieve a low-carbon footprint.
He told Building Design magazine: "I'm keen these are the most sustainable Olympics ever, and demonstrate the use of wood because it's an exciting, flexible and sustainable material," he said.
Craig White chairman of lobby group Wood for Gold said not using timber for the venue could endanger the green legacy of the Games
He said: "Wood's environmental credentials are second to none. To not hold on to the environmental agenda will prove to be a mistake, and the promised legacy will be diminished."
An ODA spokesman responded that final decisions about materials for the velodrome had not been made and it was working with architects to keep timber on the design.
On the delays to the stadium and aquatic centre, he added: "We consistently said that we will complete by summer 2011 and there will be a year for test events before the Games. Nothing has changed." A ceremony was also held today to mark the laying of foundations for the Olympic Stadium.
