10,000 new homes in London to be built with 3,000 in the Olympic Village - the "Masterplan" for the 2012 legacy

Olympics Desk

Mayor Boris Johnson has focused on establishing a secure future for the 2012 venues being built for the Olympic Games in a major policy launch at City Hall.

“One of my main concerns was always the lack of a clear vision for the legacy that would be left for east London from the huge investment we were making in staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games.“

Now I believe that the future for this most deprived area is spectacularly bright. Today, after many months of hard work, I am delighted to be able to present that clear vision. It shows how we plan to use the investment in new transport, new infrastructure and new world class facilities as the backbone of a fantastic new place to live, raise a family, do business, study, work and visit.”

Beijing and Athens have both been faced with the problem of how best to utilise venues that had been purpose built for sports like Badminton and Archery.  In what is fast becoming a public funded games, the 2012 games has failed to raise the amount of investment from the private sector that was hoped initially with more and more money coming from the government and the contingency fund set aside for emergency expenditure.  

The Government also commented on the legacy issue with Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell saying:

"We pledged in Singapore that the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games would deliver more than just six weeks of sport. We promised that it would transform London and leave a lasting legacy for the economy, culture, sport and tourism.

"Today marks major progress in the lasting regeneration of the East End. The infrastructure of the area will change forever, with a sport, business and cultural park that I hope will act as a magnet for business and investment."

Local politician Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham, said:

"The five Host Boroughs have a powerful vision for the Olympic Park and adjoining neighbourhoods. We want this to be a place that provides opportunities for local people and becomes a real powerhouse for prosperity in the capital.  The Legacy Masterplan takes us a giant step forward in achieving this.

"These plans to transform the landscape will be accompanied by a Strategic Regeneration Framework which commits partners to work together not just to provide the new homes, parklands and infrastructure, but also to build successful new communities and once and for all close the gap in opportunities and prosperity between East London and the rest of the Capital."

However major resentment and opposition to the 2012 is mounting with a recent poll in the London Daily News showing that 63% per cent of readers would "hand back" the 2012 to the IOC.

photo credit: Legacy Now