Burdens and the waterways plan to make 2012 green

The River Lee runs past Burdens’ depot at Picketts Lock directly to the Olympic site.

London’s canals should be used to help build the 2012 Olympic site and leave a green legacy, according to campaigners. Dredging the River Lee and the Bow docks in east London could save 500,000 lorry journeys and regenerate the waterways.

Brian Haley, of Haringey Council, wants people, waste and building materials to be transported to and from the 2012 Olympic site by water. He said eco-friendly barges could also service the area after the Games. British Waterways are currently responsible for the rivers and canals but lack the resources to upgrade waterways near the Olympic site because of recent cuts. Brian Haley, who is chair of London Waste, wants Mayor Ken Livingstone to give the go ahead to a public private partnership (PPP) that would see freight return to the canals in northeast London. He said: “It would cost between £4-6m to upgrade the waterways. We are talking about better quality pavements, lighting and dredging.

“We have a private sector company, Burdens, that is very much at the forefront of this. The journey to the Olympic site from Burdens’ base in Edmonton is seven miles by canal and 12 miles by lorry. As long as it’s not time critical it is the perfect route.”

The project’s backers say bio-diesel powered barges give out lower emissions than lorries and could be used to service homes and businesses built on the site after the 2012 Olympics.