Plans are well ahead to ensure that the Olympic and Paralympic Games leave a lasting legacy and build on the sporting success we have witnessed over the past few weeks
In a summer in which Great Britain has shown to the world its ability to stage a spectacular Olympic and Paralympics Games, it’s easy to forget that a key legacy aim is the continued development of east London.
Earlier this year, the International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge congratulated London on producing a ‘legacy blueprint’ for future Games. This was a ringing endorsement that London is more advanced in its legacy planning than any previous Olympic host city. This is because the bid was predicated on legacy and, as a result, a dedicated legacy body for the Park was set up to manage and capitalise this extraordinary set of assets.
After the Paralympics, the London Legacy Development Corporation will begin an extensive, £292m programme of construction works to transform the Olympic site into a new piece of the city, to be known as Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Working with local communities, we will harness the momentum of the Games to create an exciting place to visit and enjoy, to work in and to live in.
The Park will become home to 250 acres of open space, nearly four miles of waterways, a new commercial district, up to 8,000 homes in five new neighbourhoods, five world-class sporting venues, the ArcelorMittal Orbit and other attractions, as well as a packed programme of concerts, events and festivals. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will open in phases from 27 July 2013, exactly one year after the opening ceremony of the Games, and will be fully open by spring 2014.
The Park will offer sporting programmes from grass roots community use to high- performance competitions such as the 2015 European Hockey Championships and the 2017 World Athletics Championships. Following in the footsteps of our Olympic and Paralympic heroes, Londoners will be able to enjoy these fantastic facilities. We have pledged that a swim in the Aquatics Centre or court hire in the Copperbox multi-use arena will be the same price as a local leisure centre.
For years the boundaries of central London have been shifting eastwards. The Games have helped to accelerate investment and growth in east London and at the Legacy Corporation we are witnessing real confidence in the Park and surrounding areas.
Already six out of eight venues on the Park have their legacy use secured and last month we appointed Taylor Wimpey and London & Quadrant Housing to build Chobham Manor – the first of our new neighbourhoods – meaning new family homes will be ready to move into by late 2014. Inspired by the best of London’s architecture and design, they will be supported by the construction of new schools, nurseries, health and community centres.
On top of this we plan for the Park to generate 8,000 new jobs and 2,500 construction jobs. We believe that London 2012 should provide a range of opportunities. Better access to jobs and training, better housing choices, new schools and public facilities; and better transport links and connectivity to the rest of London. In essence, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will be a place where a mix of people has put down roots.
But this is not going to happen overnight. Ensuring lasting benefits for east London is more of a marathon than a sprint for us and our plans span the next 18 years. Over time we hope that continued investment will create an arc of opportunity from Canary Wharf to the Royal Docks, Stratford and Hackney.
Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games means London has a lot to be proud of right now, and that includes its unprecedented approach to fulfilling its legacy to east London.
Daniel Moylan is Chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation. More information on the London Legacy Development Corporation is available at: www.londonlegacy.co.uk and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park: www.noordinarypark.co.uk
