News Desk

The chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority John Arnitt in an interview with The Times has admitted despited £20 million of public money being invested into the London canals network, "only a handful of barges had delivered materials to the site" not the thousands planned.

The ODA chief admitted that it was "cheaper" to transport materials via rail or roads than the canals, it was initially the plan of the ODA to use the canals to transport materials to the Olympic park and then to the River Thames.

Instead the waterways have been used to remove waste, and it is now planned the newly built Three Mills Lock, the first such construction in the capital for 20 years, will become a "focal point for visitors and boat trips".

Arnitt also admitted that the business argument for using the canals did not add up with Arnitt saying in The Times: "it is difficult to make the business case stack up for bringing large quantities by barge".