• Places for People and Balfour Beatty win contract to develop new neighbourhoods of East Wick and Sweetwater 
• High quality design includes terraced and mews houses building on the best of London’s residential architecture with great views across Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
• New neighbourhoods on target to be delivered six years ahead of the original masterplan

Places for People and Balfour Beatty were selected from a strong shortlist of six teams and will work on developing the neighbourhoods of East Wick and Sweetwater with a view to completing the development in 2023. Work to develop East Wick and Sweetwater will create a vibrant new community on the west of the Park linking to existing communities in Hackney Wick and Fish Island.

East Wick will create up to 850 new homes and is located in the north west of the Park next to Hackney Wick and the digital quarter at Here East. It will include townhouses, mews, studios and flats, a new primary school and two new nurseries. Sweetwater will provide up to 650 new homes and is located in the south-west of the Park near Old Ford and the Copper Box Arena. It includes studios, apartments and family homes with private gardens, a new primary school, two new nurseries and a health centre.

Both new neighbourhoods will include high quality, purpose built homes to rent allowing for a wider choice for Londoners.  There will also be opportunities for independent shops and businesses as part of developing thriving new neighbourhoods. 

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: 

“This is the most successful and fastest growing city anywhere in Europe, and it is absolutely vital we provide thousands of new houses to allow people to live close to their places of work. I am thrilled to confirm we have now appointed high quality developers to help bring forward plans for these important new neighbourhoods on our iconic Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a whopping six years ahead of target.” 

David Goldstone Chief Executive London Legacy Development Corporation, said: 

“We are delighted by the high quality of the bid from Places for People and Balfour Beatty, which offers exciting opportunities for local people, businesses and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. East Wick and Sweetwater will exemplify the best of London’s residential architecture and we hope it can provide a model for speeding up delivery across London.” 

Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive, said: 

“I look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the London Legacy Development Corporation to ensure that commitments made as part of the London 2012 Games are delivered by not only creating new communities but also new jobs, and apprenticeships for young people wanting to join the growing infrastructure sector. With our partner, Places for People, we are very excited to be able to create these new, vibrant, sustainable communities for East London.”

David Cowans, Chief Executive at Places for People, said: 

"This is East London's moment and it's our big moment too and we are thrilled to have been selected to be part of the transformation of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.  With our partner, Balfour Beatty, we have the perfect opportunity to work with the London Legacy Development Corporation to create a truly unique and exciting place to live. This is exactly what Places for People is about, making great places and ensuring that the true Legacy of 2012 lives on by creating opportunities for the existing communities around the park to share in its success".  

East Wick

• Up to 850 new homes
• Located in the north-west of the Park next to Hackney Wick and Here East
• Townhouses, mews, studios and flats
• New primary school and two new nurseries
• Floor space will consist of up to: 

- 96,000sqm residential
- 9,000sqm employment
- 5,600sqm community
- 4,700sqm retail and leisure

 
Sweetwater

• Up to 650 new homes
• Located in the south-west of the Park near Old Ford and the Copper Box Arena
• Studios, flats and family homes with private gardens
• New primary school and two new nurseries and a health centre
• Floor space will consist of up to: 

- 67,700sqm residential
- 1,000sqm employment
- 8,400sqm community
- 2,500sqm retail 

Today’s announcement is part of the Mayor’s commitment to double housebuilding as London’s population continues to boom. His Housing Strategy has put forward a range of pioneering measures to boost housing supply, stimulate building and produce more low cost homes to help meet the 42,000 homes a year that are needed to manage London's increasing population.  Other measures include the designation of at least 20 Housing Zones to unlock and accelerate 50,000 homes in partnership with London Boroughs and the London Housing Bank to accelerate big schemes, the release of hundreds of acres of land owned by the GLA. The Mayor is also on track to deliver his challenging target of 100,000 affordable homes by the end of his second Mayoral term with almost 83,000 delivered to date.
 
ENDS 
 
Notes to editors: 

For images of East Wick and Sweetwater click here

London’s newest visitor destination, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is a place unlike any other. Visitors to the Park are able to enjoy beautiful parklands and waterways, world-famous sporting venues, arts and events and spectacular views from the ArcelorMittal Orbit. As a new heart for east London, the Park will also provide new homes, jobs and a cultural and education quarter.

The London Legacy Development Corporation promotes and delivers physical, social, economic and environmental regeneration in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the surrounding area, in particular by maximising the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

For more information visit QueenElizabethOlympicPark.co.uk, follow us on Twitter @noordinarypark and like us on Facebook facebook.com/QueenElizabethOlympicPark.
 
Balfour Beatty is a leading international infrastructure group. With 36,000 employees, we provide innovative and efficient infrastructure that underpins our daily lives, supports communities and enables economic growth.

We finance, develop, build and maintain complex infrastructure such as transportation, power and utility systems, social and commercial buildings.

Our main geographies are the UK, US, Middle East and South East Asia. Over the last 100 years we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world including the London Olympics’ Aquatic Centre, Hong Kong’s first Zero Carbon building, the world’s biggest shopping mall in Dubai, the National Museum of the Marine Corps in the US and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

Balfour Beatty is also currently working on the Olympic Stadium transformation project for the London Legacy Development Corporation.
 
Places for People is one of the largest residential property development, management and regeneration companies operating across the UK delivering strategic land placemaking, master planning, development and property management.   The not-for-dividend Group owns and manages 143,000 homes and provides housing including homes for sale, market and affordable rent.  Uniquely the Group manages residential properties in all tenures and is one of the UK’s largest managers of private rented homes and leasehold properties.

Places for People owns and manages properties across a number of London boroughs and is part of the partnership to deliver the first phase of the residential homes at Ruskin Square in East Croydon. 

Places for People is committed to creating successful places and enabling people to reach their potential. Places for People makes a long-term commitment to its communities and works to provide what they need to thrive; not only today but for future generations. Its developments are not just about housing but new schools, shops, leisure facilities, employment, access to training and specialist services. www.placesforpeople.com