The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt, praised the progress made on site as he visited a completed property as part of one of his regular visits to inspect the London 2012 construction project.

The Olympic and Paralympic Village, which lies adjacent to the Olympic Park, will comprise residential apartments for around 17,000 Olympic and 6,000 Paralympic athletes and officials during the Games, along with shops, restaurants, medical, media and leisure facilities, in addition to large areas of open space.

After the Games, the apartments will be adapted for permanent use as part of a lasting legacy being created in east London. The Village, comprising 2,818 new homes across 11 individually designed plots, will become a new and complete London neighbourhood - offering the best of city living across a range of high-quality homes that will be affordable and private rented or owned. Community facilities, newly created parklands and some of the best transport connections in the capital will help deliver this sustainable and thriving neighbourhood.

Of the homes in the Village, 1,379 have been purchased by joint venture Triathlon Homes to provide high-quality affordable housing. The remaining 1,439 properties will become private housing after being acquired by a consortium of UK developer Delancey and the Qatari Diar real estate investment company. The consortium has also secured six adjacent future development plots with the potential for 2,000 more homes.

ODA Chief Executive Dennis Hone said: 'The construction of the Village is on track to be completed early next year. This is a unique development which combines and integrates private and affordable housing of the highest quality. It represents one of the strongest legacies of the Games, building a new community that will enhance our capital city and the lives of its people in the decades ahead.'

Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt said after calling in on one of the affordable Triathlon properties that will be converted for legacy use after 2012:

'The Olympic Village looks fantastic, and you can just imagine the energy it will have when 17,000 athletes and staff move in here next summer for the Olympic Games.  But what is most important about the Village is that it will be a real legacy from London’s Games, by providing affordable and private housing after 2012.  

'It is yet another example of how we continue to deliver on our promise to leave behind real and lasting benefits from London 2012.'

LOCOG Chair Seb Coe said: 'Athletes are at the heart of the London 2012 Games and seeing the Village take shape shows we are providing all competitors from around the world with a home-from-home to relax in and prepare for one of the biggest sporting moments of their lives. The excellent progress on the Village also demonstrates the long-term legacy the Games will deliver when beds for athletes become essential new homes for Londoners after the Games, creating a vibrant new neighbourhood on the doorstep of the Olympic Park.'

A view from the balcony of the apartment visited by Jeremy Hunt showcased the close proximity to the Olympic Park and its associated legacy benefits – from acres of new open spaces to world-class sports venues. It also highlighted the strong transport links at Stratford and Stratford International, and the recently opened Westfield Stratford City shopping centre.

Olympic and Paralympic Village overview:

The Olympic and Paralympic Village will create a new neighbourhood for east London including:
New Homes for Londoners

• A complete neighbourhood of 2,818 properties, including 1,379 affordable homes
• Family housing with nearly 1,000 three and four bed homes
• New homes spread across 11 individually designed residential plots in one of the best connected parts of the capital, providing neighbourhood character and choice
• New homes built around private courtyards with car parking
• New homes built to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 and designed for modern, sustainable living, with fittings and finishes of the highest standard
• Six future development plots with existing outline planning consent and the potential for 2,000 open market homes to be developed, together with retail floor space and associated uses

Spacious living, new parks and open space

• New homes with functional, light spaces and open-plan layouts ranging from studio apartments to four-bedroom townhouses  
• A new neighbourhood that spans over 27 hectares of land, equivalent to St James Park, with wide tree lined streets and open public spaces
• More than 10 hectares of new parks and open space interspersed with cycling facilities and recreation spaces
• Landscaped courtyard areas with gardens and play areas for people to relax and enjoy living in London's newest neighbourhood
• Located next to the 2.5sq km Olympic Park that will deliver 250 acres of legacy parklands to create the largest urban public park created in the UK for over a century, including wetlands, woodlands, wildlife areas and riverside gardens

New community facilities, transport links and amenities

• A world-class education campus - Chobham Academy - specialising in the performing arts, with 1,800 places for students aged 4-19
• A state-of-the-art Polyclinic with a full range of healthcare services including multiple GP surgeries, outpatient activity, and a children’s clinic
• One of the best connected parts of the capital with Stratford International and Stratford Regional stations offering links to London’s key locations – reaching the West End in 20 minutes, Canary Wharf in 12 minutes, Kings Cross St Pancras in seven minutes and all London airports within an hour
• With over 30 local and independent shops, cafes and bars, the feeling of an established neighbourhood will be created
• Adjacent to the world-class sporting venues of the Olympic Park
• Next door to Stratford City, Europe’s newest and largest shopping centre

A new neighbourhood on track

Delancey and Qatari Diar joint venture

• Construction work started on the Olympic Village in June 2008 with the first of 11 residential plots completed in spring 2011
• Both the Chobham Academy education campus and state-of-the-art new Polyclinic are nearing completion   
• Landscaping work throughout the Village is progressing with the creation of an extensive wetlands park
• The Village is on track for completion in early 2012

-    The appointment of the Delancey and Qatari Diar joint venture follows an open and competitive investment process launched in October 2010 which saw submissions from leading property developers across the UK, mainland Europe, North America and Asia. Their successful bid will create the first UK private sector residential fund of over 1,000 homes to be owned and directly managed as an investment.

Triathlon Homes

-    Triathlon Homes, a joint venture established by urban development and investment company First Base, and housing associations Southern Housing Group and East Thames Group, purchased 1,379 of the new homes in June 2009, investing £268 million in the Olympic Village through a collaborative public-private partnership.

1.    Download Images from today’s event
 2.   Download images of the Olympic and Paralympic Village and selected design images
3.    For further information from Delancey, please contact:
Katharine Walsh  / Delancey / Tel:  +44 (0)7957 855102 / katharine.walsh@delancey.com
Jamie Robertson / FD (for Delancey) / Tel: +44 (0)20 7831 3113 / Jamie.Robertson@fd.com
4.  Read more about London’s new neighbourhood, East Village

Notes to Editors

– Ends –

For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700. Out of hours media contact number; 07500 795034.

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