London 2012 on track to be the ‘Regeneration Games’

Speaking at a British Urban Regeneration Association dinner tonight ODA Chairman John Armitt will say that the work to deliver the Olympic Park venues and infrastructure is already demonstrating that London 2012 is on track to be the ‘Regeneration Games’.

John Armitt said: 'The legacy ambitions of London 2012 run through everything we do. In 2007 understandably there was a lot of focus on costs. In 2008 this will switch to the benefits this investment will bring, including the transformation of neglected industrial land into a new urban park.

'Since we gained possession of the Olympic Park last year two-thirds of the site has been cleared, demolition on the ‘Big Five’ venue sites is complete and the Park is starting to take shape ready for construction to start later this summer.

'The site remains a challenge with over 800,000 cubic metres of soil contaminated by decades of industrial use to be cleaned and reused to create the Olympic Park and land for future development.

'Later this year we will start removing fifty two electricity pylons, a historic physical barrier to regeneration, so that power for the Games and legacy communities can be switched to two six kilometre tunnels that have been dug beneath the Olympic Park.

'However, regeneration is more than just physical transformation, it is also about social and economic change. In the next few weeks we will launch various schemes aimed at ensuring that London 2012 leaves a real long term employment and skills legacy for local people and UK construction.

'Over 500 businesses, most of them small and medium sized and more than one in ten based around the Olympic Park, have won work supplying the ODA. We have launched the London 2012 Business Network, including an innovative business dating agency for small businesses, to help more small companies access thousands of future London 2012 related business opportunities and business support.

'We want to bring people with us on the path to London 2012 and enable them to judge progress. Our recently published project baseline report sets out in detail what has been achieved to date and the regeneration that will be delivered as we progress to 2012.'

Notes to editors:

ODA John Armitt was speaking at a private British Urban Regeneration Association event.
A new image showing the Olympic Stadium bowl starting to take shape are available at the London 2012 image gallery.

BURA, the British Urban Regeneration Association, was formed in 1990 to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, experience and information for the emerging regeneration sector. Over a decade later, the understanding of the regeneration agenda and its significance for all sectors has developed and will continue to do so in the future.

The Association offers its members national and regional networks, dynamic and diverse events, seminars and conferences and specialist forums covering key issues of the regeneration agenda.

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For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700.

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