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Olympic river revival

14th Jul 2006

The Bow Back rivers of East London could be set for a glowing revival in time for the 2012 Olympics.

Plans have been put forward by British Waterways to take over a million tonnes of traffic off local roads and make this hidden network of rivers a vibrant visitor destination.

The move follows the publication in May of the Lower Lea Valley Vision by the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC), London Development Agency and Greater London Authority. It sets out a blueprint for the sustainable restoration of the waterways and underlines their strategic importance to the life, economy and environment of the area.

The first practical step would be the construction of a £15m new lock and flood control structure close to Three Mills. The structure, which could be operational as early as December 2007, would restore navigation on the waterways above Three Mills for the first time in 40 years and create a major new transport link between the Thames and the planned developments of the Olympic Park and Stratford City. The lock would be able to accommodate 350-tonne barges, helping to save at least 100,000 journeys before 2012 and providing a green transport system for waste and recyclates in the future.

The plan, which has been developed in collaboration with a range of stakeholders including the LTGDC, Olympic Delivery Authority, Transport for London, Department for Transport, Environment Agency and English Nature, is part of a blueprint for cleaner, greener, safer and more accessible waterways. The objective to unlock the potential of the waterways for wildlife, navigation and people creating a vibrant network of canals, rivers, docks and tideways.

"This is the most important waterway restoration project in the country," says British Waterways’ London Director, Mark Bensted. "It has everything –transport and tourism, wildlife and heritage, regeneration and development. Nowhere else in London can you find such a fabulous concentration of canals and rivers and we passionately believe that they can do for East London what the waterways have done for Birmingham or, indeed, Amsterdam."

"The waterways of the Lower Lea are a fantastic and strategically vital asset to the life and economy of east London. We will never have a better opportunity to put right the centuries of neglect and abuse these waterways have suffered and create a legacy that will benefit Londoners for generations."

Last updated: 22/10/2008