The pledge

The historic, and unprecedented, pledge made in London’s original Games bid was that:

“By staging the Games in this part of the city, the most enduring legacy of the Olympics will be the regeneration of an entire community for the direct benefit of everyone who lives there.”

Since that memorable day in June ten years ago, we have worked hard to deliver on this promise and create a Park like no other – somewhere which is as exciting and rewarding for local residents as it is for national and international visitors.

A memorable ten years

All of the permanent venues from the London 2012 Games have secured their legacy with the Copper Box Arena, Lee Valley VeloPark, Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre and London Aquatics Centre all offering world-class sporting facilities at affordable prices.

The UK’s tallest sculpture, the ArcelorMittal Orbit, has been thrilling visitors with its breath-taking views across London, while Here East will provide more than 7,500 jobs on site and in the local community as well as acting as a training ground for new talent – Loughborough University in London and Hackney Community College are both due to move in. After hosting a series of world-class events this summer, the Stadium will reopen in 2016 as the home of West Ham United FC and UK Athletics.

Aside from the physical legacy of the 2012 Games, the Park has delivered on the ambition of the original bid in a number of ways:

• More than 5,000 people have worked on the transformation the Park since the Games, with 30% coming from the local area
• 70% of the operator's workforce in the Copper Box Arena and London Aquatics Centre were recruited from local boroughs at opening
• Sixty apprentices have worked on the project; the highest number on a single site in London in 2013
• 4,300 new trees have been planted on the Park since the Games
• The Park has had over 5 million visitors to date
• 5,000 people took boat tours around the Park in its first summer of opening
• 2,818 homes (50% of which are affordable housing) have been built at East Village, the former athletes’ village, with more homes planned for coming years
• In total, 24,000 new homes will have been built by 2031
• 26 permanent artworks have been commissioned for the Park

Looking forward

In the ten years since the 2012 announcement, we have made enormous strides towards delivering on London’s bid promise. There is plenty more to come however, with this area of east London set to continue its unique transformation over the coming years.

In addition to Chobham Manor, the Park will see four more new neighbourhoods created in and around the Park, with around a third of homes offering affordable housing. With some of the best transport links in the city, including a link to Crossrail by 2019, the Park is set to be one of the most desirable residential locations in London.

Over the next decade, we are also creating a brand new district on the Park that will bring together some of the world’s leading cultural and higher education organisations. The project, known as Olympicopolis, will see the arrival of new campuses for University College London and the University of the Arts London, as well as cultural institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Sadler’s Wells and, potentially, the Smithsonian Institution. Olympicopolis is expected to deliver 3,000 jobs, 1.5 million additional visitors and £2.8 billion of economic value to Stratford and the surrounding area.

The IOC meeting in July 2005 provided the catalyst for a remarkable story for east London, one which is set to continue to develop for years to come!