As reported in RN 109 in January this year LOCOG applied for planning permission for the construction of temporary structures required to stage the Olympics 2012 equestrian events and modern pentathlon events at Greenwich Royal Park. These events are set to take place in July and August 2012, while the Paralympics dressage competitions would take place in September 2012.
At a planning meeting to consider the application at Greenwich Town Hall on 23 March 2010 more than 30 speakers, who opposed the plans, took up an hour and 40 minutes of the 5 hour meeting to make their arguments known saying that they feared important archaeological evidence and historic artefacts would be damaged and disturbed important environmental habitats disturbed, historic trees including some sweet chestnut trees which were up to 300 years old. damaged and an important habitat of bats interfered with.
Objectors included:
RESCUE: the British Archaeological Trust: It can’t be considered legal, reasonable or appropriate for such a significant heritage landscape to be put under serious threat of irreparable and widespread damage for a transient sporting event.
Residents are now hoping that following the recent change of Government the decision to stage these events in Greenwich Park can be revisited as part of the review of costs of Olympics 2012, and the benefits of moving the event to the more suitable existing facilities at Windsor Great Park can be revisited and more fully explored.