Major investment announced for British Waterways

The 2012 Olympic site is well served by waterways, most of which are navigable and with the announcement today (28th February 2007) of the go ahead for the development of a new lock system at the Prescott channel a new chapter in the use of water as a viable option for delivery of materials for 2012 is begun. Burdens welcome this significant step forward in the development of the waterways for this reason.
 
Back in early 2005 Burdens began to put together a working plan to use the River Lee to deliver materials to the Olympic site by barge. Critical to the success has always been government commitment to improving the water infrastructure that serves the Olympic site, and now with today’s announcement, some solid progress can be made on offering the long hoped for “green delivery option” for materials transport to the 2012 construction site. Burdens depot is situated at Pickett’s Lock upstream from the site and has nearly 6 acres of yard located on the riverbank ideally suited for creating the required wharfs and handling facilities.
 
Those whose political convictions led them to promote the use of waterways as a key component in the “Greening” of the Games now have a workable and practical means of fulfilling their ambitions. Indeed Ken Livingstone, has given his unqualified support to Burdens plans to use the River Lee to deliver construction materials to the Olympic site, he is enthusiastic about the principle of using water to help fulfil his very public promise that the 2012 games would be the “greenest ever”. With today’s announcement Burdens can now push forward with British Waterways in developing barge supply on the non-tidal waterways that serve 2012 construction site.
 
Commercially the use of barges will open up a key route to the Olympics for suppliers and manufacturers, and the focus now will be on maximisation of the resource.  Burdens are committed to the use of bio-fuelled engines or fuel cells to power the barges providing a very low or nil emissions solution.
 
Already planned is a partnership with London Waste to return the otherwise empty barges via their waste processing plant at Edmonton (London Waste Eco Park is situated half a mile downstream from Burden’s Pickett’s Lock site) almost completely eliminating empty running.
 
The sheer volume of material required to construct the Olympic site is vast and some estimates put the savings in lorry journeys alone at over 500,000 over the build period, by using water based transport the environmental benefits will be dramatic and a viable and commercial waterway will provide a legacy of regeneration for years after the Olympics is over.
 
By Will Kirkman, business development director, Burdens Environmental
 
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