Alumni hear how London 2012 will be the 'Green Games'

Monday, 29 November 2010

John Armitt CBE, Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, speaking at the alumni event

Over 60 University of Reading alumni gathered in London recently to hear from John Armitt CBE, Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).

John, also a Reading honorary graduate, explored the £8.6 billion investment in the civil infrastructure, housing and stadia for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The network event, sponsored by Gardiner & Theobald, was for alumni from the School of Construction Management and Engineering.

John Armitt described the opportunities and challenges that the ODA faced, ranging from inheriting a heavily contaminated (90% of which they managed to recover), to meeting a 20% renewable energy provision for new infrastructure and minimising transport impacts. There will be no parking at the games; instead, new underground and over ground stations have been built, large capacity foot bridges are in place and extra dedicated lanes for competitors and officials have been added to the Olympic route network.

John Armitt said: "The project has provided an opportunity for all sectors to question and review techniques which not only meet the short term objectives of a 'Green Games', but can contribute to the construction sector's challenge of reducing CO2 impact by 80% by 2050."

At the games site in Stratford, there will be 17,800 athletes, 22,000 media, and up to 300,000 people in the Park at any one time. Some of the many stadiums on the site will be re-usable in the same or different form, others will be dismantled and some relocated for use after the games. Afterwards, there is an ambition to create a new area of London, with housing, parkland and leisure facilities - leaving a sustainable legacy.

The talk was followed by a networking drinks reception for alumni and staff.