ODA chief executive David Higgins said:“There has been speculation in the media that we have cut the proportion of open space in the Olympic Park.

 

"This is wrong.

 

“The fact is that the planning applications for 2004 and 2007 cover different areas - the boundaries of the Park have changed so it is not possible to compare them.

 

"Where previously there was one application there are now several covering broadly the same area. 

 

“The 2004 planning application included more of the Stratford City area which is now subject to a separate planning application but will still form the same amount of open space within the Park. 

 

“The 2004 planning application also included ‘incidental open spaces’ which are no longer in the 2007 application but are likely to be included in a separate Legacy Planning Application next year.

 

“Areas of Pudding Mill Lane have been excluded from the 2007 application, but will still form open space for the community in the area.

 

“Overall, although improvements to the Park master-plan have reduced the land required for the Games, better integrating key venues within the Park, reducing the relocation of local businesses and improving the Park in legacy, the proportion of open space within the Olympic Park remains the same.

 

“This underlines our commitment to transform an area of neglected and largely inaccessible land into one of the largest urban parks to be built in Europefor 150 years.”      

 

There are currently 92 hectares of open space within the Olympic Park site, much of it fragmented with around 60 per cent of the space inaccessible.

 

The Olympic Park planning applications will transform the land into 110 hectares of open space with an additional six hectares within the Stratford City development, 2.3 hectares around the Bow Back rivers and canalside, and up to a further 5 hectares of legacy communities open space in separate planning applications.

 

Darren Johnson, a member of the Green Party in the London Assembly who had been among those to claim the space was being reduced, said: “I welcome this commitment to ensure that green space in the Olympic Park will not be reduced.

 

“Leaving a sustainable legacy for London is the most important part of the Games.  It is essential that green space and legacy facilities are not cut back to cover the spiraling costs of the Olympics.

 

“As well as restoring the Olympic Park to its original size, I urge the Olympics organisers to honour their original commitments on providing enough space for the VeloPark and allotments on the Olympic site.”