Olympics Update - Gearing up for 2012
In 2012 London will host the World’s biggest, most exciting and inspiring sporting and cultural event – the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Hackney’s Olympic lead, Cllr Guy Nicholson, said: “While it goes without saying that we want to host and bring about a successful Games in 2012, we must also ensure the Games leave a lasting legacy for Hackney, our residents and our businesses. This is our once in a lifetime opportunity to realise some long held regeneration aspirations for Hackney Wick, creating new job opportunities, improved local rail services across our Borough, new sports facilities and a new park extending the reach of the Marshes further south into the Lea Valley. We also have the chance to showcase our extraordinary creativity and diversity to London and the world.”
Mayor Jules Pipe has made transport a top priority as Hackney is the only inner London borough without a tube or major rail link into central London. Already the Games have helped to achieve the East London Line Extension bring tube style links to Dalston, Haggerston, Hoxton and Shoreditch by 2010; and a £109m investment in the North London Line bringing a service of eight trains an hour by December 2009. Trains will be 20 per cent bigger and will also have new carriages.
Cllr Nicholson said: “We will continue to use the Olympic Games to deliver sustainable benefits to residents with projects including improving the facilities at Hackney Marshes (before and after 2012), developing services and stations on the North London Line, bringing forward new work and training initiatives, as well as ensuring that the indoor sports arena that will remain after the Games becomes a successful local and national centre for basketball.
“After 2012 Hackney residents will also benefit from other nearby legacy sports facilities including the Aquatics centre, Velopark and Velodrome, BMX arena and Olympic Stadium containing the new Olympic Institute.”Culture and the Arts are also an integral part of the Olympic Games. Cllr Nicholson said: “We are working with partners to create a dynamic Olympic Festival that will run from the closing ceremony of the Beijing Games in 2008, through to the end of our Games in 2012. Hackney is leading the way for the Cultural Olympiad in East London, to make the most of the Games and establish a new cultural destination for London – the East Bank – as part of the legacy from the Games.”
As no private cars will be allowed into the Olympic Park during the Games, a temporary facility on East Marsh will provide an essential part of the green transport objectives of London’s Games. This temporary facility is to provide coach drop off points, disability and cycle parking facilities. After the Games in the autumn of 2012, the East Marsh will be returned to its current use as 11-a-side grass football pitches. In the meantime, work is underway with a major investment programme embracing all of Hackney Marshes. Hackney, working with the Football Association and the London Development Agency, are bringing forward a £2.3million pound improvement programme to be spent on the pitches and changing rooms.
To ensure that Hackney achieves its ambitions for 2012 and maximises the opportunities for our residents, the Council has an Olympic delivery team. The team will be dedicated to the Games, supporting their delivery and legacy beyond 2012 for Hackney Wick and our Borough. It will be working closely with a team from the five host boroughs, as well as, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).
New community forum for Wick Residents
Hackney Wick is the area of the borough most directly affected by the Games coming to London. A new forum is being set up for Wick residents to keep up to date with Olympic progress, share ideas and contribute to local plans. The first meeting will be on Wednesday, 22 Febuary, from 6pm to 8pm at the Old Baths, Eastway. For more details call Hackney’s Olympic team on: 020 8356 3126, or email: olympics@hackney.gov.uk
Page updated: 28 Feb 2007