News August 2006
Agreement brings investment and new green space
Improvements to football facilities on Hackney Marshes ahead of 2012 and a guarantee of a new park are two significant benefits that the London Games will now bring thanks to a new agreement.
The deal securing the gains on the Hackney land which will be used for the Games, was recently brokered by Hackney Council and the London Development Agency (LDA). It also brings with it £4 million of local investment.
Hackney Council’s lead member for the Games, Cllr Guy Nicholson, welcoming the agreement, said: “We’re committed to our role in hosting the best Games ever and securing a legacy for our residents.” By 2007 a major sports regeneration programme on the Marshes will be finalised, backed up by £2 million of funding from the LDA and a £1 million from the Council.
The LDA is also committing a further £1 million for environmental improvements on and around the Marshes and the Wick neighbourhood. Gareth Blacker, from the LDA said: “This agreement sets out a plan for investing in Hackney even before the 2012 Games. It guarantees that precious green spaces are returned after the Games, and that Hackney Marshes receives funding.
“The LDA‘s priority is to ensure that Londoners get the most from the Games, and that means new jobs, homes, business opportunities and a better environment.”The land within Hackney hosting the 2012 Games encompasses East Marsh, Arena Fields, White Hart Field, Morris Field, Waterden Crescent Travellers Site, and two areas by the A12 identified in the Olympic Compulsory Purchase order.
The new green space that Hackney gains in the Olympic Park after the Games, is in exchange for these areas. It will be an equivalent amount of land in terms of size, condition and use. East Marsh will host a temporary facility for coach drop off, disabled and cycle parking for 2012. It will remain in use for football until May 2011 and will return by mid-2013.The agreement guarantees the return of East Marsh after the Games for the benefit of future generations for football and commits the LDA to replacing any trees that were removed
East Marsh will be connected to the Olympic Park by a new land bridge to be put in place for the Games. It will remain after 2012 as a permanent legacy connecting Hackney to the new park and the new neighbourhoods to be created in the Valley all the way to the River Thames.
Another pedestrian bridge will link Gainsborough School to playing fields in the Olympic Park after 2012. The LDA and Hackney have confirmed that they will continue to work to ensure the relocation of the Traveller families from Waterden Crescent who must move because of the Games.
Cllr Nicholson said the agreement benefits, combined with the media facilities and the handball arena located within Hackney, give the borough a strong sporting and jobs legacy: “Our focus has always been on the legacy from 2012 for local people. Making Hackney a better place with more opportunities and a better quality of life for all our residents is our priority. This includes improving sports facilities, the environment and our economy.”
Page updated: 28 Feb 2007