07/08/2012
In-depth plans for developing the Olympic Park and its venues, after the Paralympic Games have ended, will ensure a lasting sporting legacy for the area.
A £300m construction project run by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) will transform the Olympic site into the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, due to open in phases from 27 July 2013.
The LLDC was established in 2009 and its development plans for the Olympic Park after the Closing Ceremony include removing temporary venues, transforming permanent venues into everyday use, building new roads and bridges and the first neighbourhood, all with the aim of furthering the regeneration that has already taken place in Stratford, East London.
The future of six of the eight permanent venues located in the Park has already been secured with appointed operators, and the stadiums will be modified to allow them to cater for the local community at a grass roots level, as well as continuing to host high performance events.
Up to 8,000 permanent jobs will have been created by 2030, plus 2,500 temporary construction jobs, and training and apprenticeship opportunities will focus on local people.
Another lasting legacy of the Olympic Park is the amount of green space that has been introduced to that area of London. It will leave behind over 22 miles of interlinking pathways, waterways and cycle paths and more than 250 acres of open space. By 2016, it is estimated that more than nine million visitors per year will visit the Queen Elizabeth Park.