Plans for the London 2012 International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and Main Press Centre (MPC) have been given the green light by the Olympic Park Planning Committee.

The decision means that Wolverhampton-based contractor Carillion can start construction work on the main structure of the two new buildings within the next few weeks, with work already underway on the IBC and MPC's foundations following the earlier approval of a previous planning application. When complete, the MPC will boast 29,000sq ft (2,694sq m) of sustainable office space alongside the River Lea and a number of environmentally-friendly measures, including a 'brown roof' of gravel and moss, more than 100 bird and bat boxes and a facility to source 60 per cent of all non-drinking water from across the Olympic Park.

The IBC will offer around 52,000sq ft (4,831sq m) of studio space and office facilities, while a 200m (656.2ft)-long street will be created for the duration the London Games to provide banks, newsagents and a post office, as well as a temporary media conference room and a catering village. A design team comprising Allies and Morrison, Buro Happold and RPS Group Burks Green has drawn up plans for the two buildings, which form the last of the five main construction projects in the Olympic Park to get underway.

Sebastian Coe, chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: "This decision marks a significant step towards the provision of the best possible working environment for the 20,000 members of the world's broadcasters, press and photographers in the summer of 2012. "The impressive facilities we have planned will give us the best possible foundations for telling all the stories from the London 2012 Games, while leaving high-performance workspace for the east of London."