MP backs 'Greening the Games' drive (From Gazette & Herald)

MP backs 'Greening the Games' drive

A NORTH Yorkshire nursery is being backed in its Olympian dream by Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh.

The MP visited Johnsons of Whixley, one of Europe's leading nursery businesses, to lend her support to the "Greening the Games" campaign, which is being spearheaded by the landscape and horticultural industry.

Johnsons of Whixley, with its 170 full-time staff and turnover of more than £10 million, grows more than eight million plants and trees every year at its six production nurseries.

Now the 86-year-old firm, which has grown and sold 160 million trees and shrubs including millions of trees for the National Forest, for country parks and new housing developments, wants to play its part in ensuring a lasting and sustainable environmental legacy in the East End of London after the Olympics in the capital in 2012.

Their intention has to be phrased carefully because the Olympic committee frowns on any firm which seeks commercial gain from the games.

But there is no doubt that Johnsons of Whixley stands to benefit to the tune of millions of pounds should the Greening the Games campaign succeed.

Already, the Olympic committee has agreed with the industry's suggestion that it should ring fence one per cent of its budget of about £10 billion at an early stage to fund green landscaping and planting, appropriate for its 21st century 580-acre Olympic Great Park in the East End.

That will come to about £100 million for the industry and no doubt Johnsons of Whixley, as one of the biggest growers in the UK, will want a major share.

But the campaign goes on because builders and architects will need to have the "green" idea take root.

Miss MacIntosh said: "Johnsons of Whixley is a well-respected business at local, national and European level as well as a major local employer.

"I'm delighted to lend them my support in a cause which will be good for an important industry and good for the UK."

Andrew Richardson, joint managing director, welcomed her support, and said: "We are calling for full use to be made of plants, trees and turf to secure lasting health benefits, provide ongoing skills development and create a green park to be proud of.

"To do this, we urge the Olympic Delivery Authority to take decisions at the earliest opportunity about the green landscape and the planting required to create it."

Updated: 15:40 Wednesday, April 12, 2006