‘ODA spending 75 pence in every £1 on London 2012 regeneration legacy’ – Armitt says

Speaking at a Foundation for Science and Technology debate last night Mr Armitt made clear that legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was being delivered now.

The first phase of legacy, led by the ODA, is focused on the creation of the Olympic Park and the delivery of the venues, new infrastructure and transport improvements for the community that will work and play in the area after 2012. The second, led by the London Development Agency working with the ODA and legacy partners, is focused on the development of the park after the Games, the future use of the venues and the wider economic and social regeneration of the area.

John Armitt said: 'Legacy was at the heart of the London 2012 bid and remains firmly at the heart of the project. 75 pence in every pound we are spending is being invested in long term regeneration of east London. For example we are:

• Making good progress cleaning and cleaning a previously neglected, contaminated and disconnected area to create the largest new urban park in Europe for 150 years.
• Starting work ahead of schedule constructing world class sports venues for both the Games and community and elite use in legacy.
• Starting work building over 30 permanent bridges and 20km of roads as well as improving transport links to create one of the best connected parts of the capital.
• Installing a new energy and infrastructure network and cleaning and improving access to the waterways.
• Preparing to switch to new underground power cables so that later this year we can remove the electricity pylons that have been a historical barrier to the regeneration of the area.
• Providing training, employment and career development to local and previously unemployed people as well as opportunities for local businesses to win 2012 work.
  

'We are working closely with the LDA as they carry out widespread consultation with the communities that surround the Olympic Park, businesses and individuals about the long-term use of the park and venues after the games as well as the development of the land around the park. This will result in the LDA submitting an outline planning application for the park in legacy within a wider regeneration strategy.

'The investment in the regeneration of this area is not coming just from the public sector. Last week Westfield announced the green light on the £1.5 billion Stratford City retail-led development adjacent to the Olympic Park which underlines how the Games are a catalyst for change in the area.'

Notes to editors

The ODA baseline budget is £6.090bn. Around 75p in every pound of the ODA's spending will leave lasting regeneration benefits to provide a legacy from London 2012, this includes the costs of:

• Other than the Games-time landscaping costs, all of the Site Platform and infrastructure costs. These works involve, for example, decontaminating, cleaning and landscaping the land, installing essential utilities, providing roads, bridges, canal walls etc, all of which would be necessary for regeneration of the area even if there were no Olympic Games
• The parts of the spend on venues, on the Olympic Park only, that will leave a long-term legacy asset
• The capital investment in improved transport links (though not the costs of operating the transport systems)
• The majority of the ODA’s contributions to the IBC/MPC, and to the Olympic Village
• A proportion of the costs of planning, managing, coordinating and protecting the works – through projects such as Master Planning, logistics, security and insurance – appropriate to the proportion of spend with regeneration benefit to the total spend

The LDA’s consultation on what should be developed on the Olympic site after the Games will form part of an overall economic, social and physical regeneration strategy for the Lower Lea Valley. This will include an outline planning application in summer 2009 which will set the framework for the development of new homes, parkland, schools, workspace, health and sporting facilities. For more information visit www.legacynow.co.uk

– Ends –

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

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