Assembly calls for investment in Olympic Park

The London Assembly today called for public funding to ensure that the Olympic Park does not become an island of prosperity surrounded by areas of deprivation.

In a motion agreed today, Members warned of local people missing out if private developers are left in charge of the development of the Olympic Site after the Games. Instead, the government and City Hall should step in as necessary to ensure that the legacy commitments, to a mixed community and facilities that benefit local people become a reality.

The Assembly noted that the Mayor will take control of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) and called on him to use his new powers to deliver a lasting legacy in the east end.

Dee Doocey AM, who proposed today’s motion, said:

“London won the Games on the basis of a promise to transform one of the country’s most disadvantaged areas. That means a legacy of mixed communities, with new schools, health centres and local facilities. If private developers are left to determine the fate of the site, there is a danger that the homes will be designed to attract wealthy Londoners at the expense of social housing and local people.

“Without public investment there is a real danger that developers will be left to turn the Olympic Park into an oasis of wealth, out of the reach of local residents.”

John Biggs AM, who seconded the motion, said:

“The reality is that the promised regeneration of the Olympic Park won’t be achieved without some form of public funding. The key is to ensure that every penny is well spent.”

“We need this investment to unlock the incredible potential of the area, to create sustainable communities and invest in London’s future. Unless we get this right now, it will come back to haunt us.”

The full text of the motion reads as follows:

“This Assembly notes the promises made in London’s original bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, to “regenerate London’s poorest and most disadvantaged area”, and that the Games would leave “a legacy to be valued by future generations”. The Assembly also notes the Olympic Park Legacy Company’s (OPLC) future plans for the Olympic Park, which include the provision of five communities, with thousands of new homes, schools, shops and health centres. However, the Assembly is concerned that there is no agreed public funding to make these plans a reality.

The Assembly notes that £500 million has been included in the Comprehensive Spending Review to remove the temporary infrastructure constructed for the Games and make the land ready for development, and notes the previous commitment by the Olympic Delivery Authority that £350 million is included within their budget for this work. The Assembly is concerned that there is no money currently earmarked to further remediate the land or to provide the mixed communities and facilities that will provide a lasting legacy from the Games.

Without public sector funding for new developments in the Olympic Park, the redevelopment will be dependent on private investors, who will naturally seek the best commercial return for their investment. The Assembly is concerned that this will negate the original concept for the site, and that instead the Olympic Park risks becoming an oasis of high-priced homes surrounded by disadvantaged communities.

The Assembly notes the Mayor’s new powers in the form of a Mayoral Development Corporation, which will take over the powers of the OPLC. The Assembly calls on the Mayor, working with local communities and councils, to play a key role in lobbying the Government, to ensure that public sector funding is allocated for any future developments on the Olympic Park, in order to honour London’s original commitment guaranteeing the provision of mixed communities and facilities that benefit the whole community.”

Ends

Notes for Editors:

1. The motion was agreed by 14 votes in favour
2. View the webcast.
3. As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.

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