Post-Games Olympic Park reopening will help create ‘sustainable neighbourhoods’

Work in progress: The Olympic Park, 10 May 2012. Photograph: Hackney Citizen

The regeneration of the Olympic Park site is one of the biggest construction plans in Europe taking 18 months to complete but will help “steer London out of recession and onto long term prosperity”.

Work on the 230-hectare (560 acre) Queen Elizabeth Park will start in October 2012 but development is phased and only the North Park area will open on 27 July 2013, with the whole park opening in 2014.

The plans for the two parts of the park – the North Park area and the South Plaza – include homes for residents and parklands, waterways, plus sports and entertainment venues for visitors.

It is the first phase of 20-year plans to transform East London, offering five new neighbourhoods, thousands of jobs, modern transport systems and a clean-up for the River Lea.

Employment hubs will offer 10,000 jobs, schools, nurseries, health centres, community and faith spaces, and up to 11,000 new homes – according to the plans.

With the area looking to “become one of the most thriving parts of London” which is “owned and shaped by the community in and around it” the London Legacy Development Corporation in charge of the work, states: “Our task to transform and integrate one of the most challenged areas in the UK into world-class, sustainable and thriving neighbourhoods.”

“The team is working in close partnership with local people, businesses and the host boroughs to create a Park that the local community feels it owns and can enjoy using, every day.”

Thousands of residents and workers will reap the benefits of the capital’s new district, according to the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who said: “The fantastic new sporting venues are only one part of the unfolding legacy story. The Park will help drive the growth London needs to steer it out of recession and on to long term prosperity.”

Mr Johnson also told of the opening celebration event for local residents and visitors, and plans for a two day cycling festival next summer hoping to attract thousands of visitors and generate millions of pounds.

However, last month Labour London Assembly Member for City and East John Biggs slammed the announcement by Olympic Officials that the public will not be able to use all of the Olympic Park venues until at least Easter 2014.

Commenting on the plans he said: “For most of my constituents, the opening of the Olympic Park will be the nearest they will get to being part of the Games… It seems that the convenience of engineers counts more than my constituents.”

Extensive work includes clearing the temporary Games structures, including the basketball arena and the water polo venue and establishing permanent venues, bridges, parklands, new roads, cycle and foot paths.

The parkland will be doubled to 102 hectares, 2,000 extra trees will be planted, ten hectares of meadow will be added, along with new lawns and two allotment sites and the 12 football pitches at East Marsh will be re-established.

And although 48% of the 2,818 Olympic Village apartments are labelled as “affordable accommodation”, concerns have been raised as only 455 units are allocated for the seven surrounding boroughs social housing.

The North Park is a river valley next to the A12 facilitating a 7,500 capacity arena and a “nature-themed community hub and playground, where children will be able to build dens and create their own everyday adventures in nature”.

The last part of the of the North Park opening at the end of 2013 is The Lee Valley VeloPark accommodating the Velodrome, a 1.6 km outdoor cycle circuit, a 6.5 km mountain bike trail, one tennis centre and one hockey centre at Lee Valley – which will host the 2015 European Hockey Championships.

The South Plaza is the 50 acre urban landscape with tree lined promenades, stadium, aquatics centre, the ArcelorMittal Orbit and space for pop up stalls and community events.

The park will be accessed via Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest plus pedestrian access through Eton Manor, with additional entrances added by Westfield shopping centre and Stratford High Street.