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Learning Legacy Lessons Learned from Planning and Staging the London 2012 Games

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Learning Legacy Lessons Learned from Planning and Staging the London 2012 Games Learning legacy Lessons learned from planning and staging the London 2012 Games Habitat protection Abstract LOCOG undertook a comprehensive survey programme to identify during the Games Biodiversity is one of the five priority ecological and heritage constraints themes that make up the London at sensitive venues which informed 2012 Sustainability Plan. Many of protection plans, environmental the London2012 venues were located management plans and long-term in existing areas of habitat management and restoration plans. It importance and were legally also worked closely with a range of protected. Habitat protection was stakeholders including Natural therefore of critical importance in England, the National Trust, The ensuring continued and enhanced Royal Parks, local authorities and biodiversity. In addition, areas of local communities. new habitat were created on the Olympic Park, which presented Key learnings included early additional challenges in terms of planning for habitat protection and their protection during the Games. enhancement – the ecological constraints of a venue had a major This case study sets out the approach impact on where and how activities the London Organising Committee of could take place and affected almost the Olympic and Paralympic Games every aspect of the build. Early and (LOCOG) took to habitat protection continued consultation and and enhancement across a range of partnership working with key venues, and focuses particularly on stakeholders was critical to finding work done at Box Hill, Hadleigh solutions to habitat challenges and to Farm, the Olympic Park, Weymouth creating a positive legacy. During the Authors and Portland and in Richmond Park. Games, clear and plentiful signage Kate Chapman These venues presented a range of along with properly briefed stewards Venues Sustainability Advisor, opportunities and challenges for made the difference between habitat LOCOG habitat protection and enhancement, protection measures being respected Julie Duffus from relocating badger setts near the or ignored. Venues Sustainability Advisor, Mountain Bike course at Hadleigh LOCOG Farm to setting up a scrub clearance programme at Box Hill. 1 Introduction Approach ‘These were visually London’s bid to host the 2012 The ability to protect fragile habitat attractive and often Olympic and Paralympic Games and, wherever possible, to enhance iconic backdrops for included a promise that the natural it played a large part in the decision environment would be protected process as to where several of the sport and presented an during the Games1. The London 2012 venues would be located. Some opportunity to market our Sustainability Plan included biodiversity proposed locations were ruled out on natural environment to as one of its five priority themes2. the basis that the London 2012 events could not be held there In addition to the construction of the t he world’. without causing unacceptable levels venues on the Olympic Park itself, of risk to the fragile habitats. For LOCOG installed temporary venues each proposed venue, detailed in parks and open spaces. In assessments and ecological surveys London, Games venues were were carried out, incorporating constructed within the Royal Parks at comprehensive mitigation and Greenwich and in Westminster (Hyde enhancement measures into designs Park and St James’s Park). The Road where required. For each sensitive Cycling events took cyclists through venue, an ecological constraints map the Royal Parks of Richmond and was produced which highlighted to Bushy and on to the highly sensitive the venue design team and to The Road Race cyclists at Box Hill area of Box Hill, where a temporary contractors the parameters within spectator venue was created. Further which they had to work. afield, Rowing and Canoe Sprint Some venues have had events took place at Eton Dorney, comprehensive long-term Mountain Bike at Hadleigh Farm in management plans built into the Essex and Sailing off Weymouth and Venue Use Agreements with the land Portland on the Dorset coast. owners and so the remediation and These were visually attractive and enhancement of habitat will, in some often iconic backdrops for sport and cases, be taking place beyond 2012. presented an opportunity to market The mitigation programmes focus a Natural England is the non-departmental our natural environment to the world. efforts into enhancing the habitats, public body of the UK government responsible Many of these sites are important for involving the local community where for ensuring that England’s natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, nature and heritage conservation possible to create a sense of pride in freshwater and marine environments, geology and are protected by law, so holding these natural spaces. and soils, are protected and improved: a major sporting event with its www.naturalengland.org.uk From the outset, extensive b The National Trust is a conservation organisation associated infrastructure and large consultation took place with key in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: numbers of spectators posed www.nationaltrust.org.uk stakeholders such as Natural numerous challenges. Englanda, the National Trustb and 2 with local wildlife and community Trust and the Hill forms a prominent ‘LOCOG worked closely groups. London 2012 needed to feature in the landscape within the with the National Trust ensure that their requirements were ‘Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding met and concerns addressed. Natural Beauty’. and Natural England to Regular meetings, site walkovers and Box Hill forms part of the Mole Gap communications helped to facilitate ensure that they were to Reigate Escarpment Site of Special this process. able to host the Road Scientific Interest (SSSI)c and is a During the build and the Games Special Area of Conservation (SAC)d Cycling event without themselves, LOCOG and its under European legislation. contractors had to ensure that all damaging the Box Hill is an extremely important potential habitats of nature site for a variety of uncommon environment’. conservation importance and those species and the area obtained its which supported protected species name from the rare box trees that were protected and managed. This grow on its slope. The unique variety involved the development of venue- of habitats found on the Hill supports specific Environmental Management a host of animal life, some of which Plans (a construction Environmental are extremely rare. Management Plan developed and The rare Small Blue Butterfly (Source: Butterfly Conservation) implemented by the principal LOCOG worked closely with the contractor, and an Operational National Trust and Natural England Environmental Management Plan to ensure that they were able to host prepared and implemented by the Road Cycling event without LOCOG). damaging the environment. Box Hill represented the most challenging During the Games, members of the section of the race, which meant that Sustainability team also inspected the the majority of spectators wanted to sites on a daily basis and worked watch it along the summit road. The closely with key stakeholders and issue here was that the majority of landowners to be certain that the the rarest and most delicate of the habitat protection measures were species were living on the verges, working and were being respected. where mass trampling could have Below are some examples of habitat created local extinctions. protection at venues: Extensive surveys were carried out to c A Site of Special Scientific Interest is given Box Hill understand the complexity of the risk legal protection by reason of its flora, fauna or geological or physiogeological features. Box Hill is located approximately and more than 1,000 species – 283 d A Special Area of Conservation is a strictly 30km south-west of London and is a of which were unique and not protected site designated under the EU summit of the North Downs in Surrey. Habitats Directive. previously known to live in the area The area is owned by the National – were discovered. Detailed and 3 accurate maps of the area were Hadleigh Farm ‘...the end result was a created as a result of the surveys, Hadleigh Farm, the venue for the fantastic Road Race contributing to the National Trust’s Olympic Mountain Bike discipline, is long-term programme to protect and an environmentally sensitive site watched by thousands as enhance the unique wildlife in their specifically due to its ecological well as a detailed site as well as assisting in the value and cultural heritage features. creation of detailed management The venue has a number of protected management plan for the plans for spectator viewing areas species such as reptiles, badgers, long-term protection of and ingress/egress. These, coupled breeding birds and bats. A new with a programme to undertake invertebrate shelf and bee area were the rare species that live defined scrub clearance not only to created at the venue, and fenced off in this special and boost spectator capacity but also to during the Games for protection. contribute to the longer-term plan to Surveys located a badger sett close exceptional habitat’. restore chalk grassland, meant that to the competition course which had the end result was a fantastic Road to be relocated. As there were no Race watched by thousands lining existing setts nearby, it was arranged the summit road as well as a detailed for an artificial one to be temporarily management plan for the long-term located following a habitat survey protection of the rare species that live with a badger consultant. This in this special and exceptional required a Badger Licence from habitat. Natural England for the translocation of the badger sett by Essex County Spectators received subtle messaging Council. about the site’s special habitats by way of dedicated signs for some of Prior to site and overlay works being the rare species, information guides undertaken, a number of ecological and local artist paintings of the rare walkovers and surveys were small blue butterfly on the steepest undertaken in collaboration with incline section of the road.
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