Four Councils to Assume Planning Authority for Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Authority over the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is set to be transferred to four London councils later in the current year. The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) has overseen development within the east London park and its adjacent regions for a period of 12 years. Effective December 1, the LLDC will relinquish the majority of its responsibilities, including planning authority, to the councils of Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest, all of which share borders with the park. Lyn Garner, the chief executive of the LLDC, expressed pride in the corporation’s achievements. The region has witnessed the establishment of numerous new sports and cultural facilities, such as the London Stadium and the London College of Fashion, alongside the construction of thousands of residential units. The LLDC is scheduled to dedicate approximately the next five years to finalizing ongoing housing developments before concluding its operations. Ms. Garner, who will resign from her position upon the transition, stated that the park generates “economic return” for London. She remarked, “It is the largest investment in arts, culture and higher education that the public sector has made in this country since – believe it or not – the days of the Great Exhibition in 1851.” She further elaborated, “If we look at the London Stadium for example, when we have a major league baseball weekend, that drives more than £40m into the economy, which is a huge amount for a single weekend.” However, she noted, “But that’s spread over the whole of the economy and it’s not necessarily the local person feeling that.” Ms. Garner also mentioned the presence of a “huge number of local jobs” within the park, with around 70% of these positions occupied by residents from the vicinity. Sadler’s Wells East, a new dance theatre, represents another facility slated to commence operations next February. This venue is integrated into the East Bank, a newly established cultural district featuring east London branches of the London College of Fashion and the V&A museum. Britannia Morton, the executive director at Sadler’s Wells, stated: “We’ve got a target to make sure that at least 50% of new jobs that we have in this new building will go to local people from the surrounding boroughs.” Regarding accessibility, she added, “In terms of making the place accessible, we have over the door ‘You are welcome’, and we mean that.” She also explained, “One of the ways that we are doing that is that 50% of tickets will be priced at £25 or under.” Multiple residents informed BBC London that the locality had seen substantial improvements since the commencement of development. A local resident commented that the park “looked nicer” following the Olympics, noting that “years ago it used to be a bit rubbish.” Another individual remarked, “Everything is safer now. It’s more residential, there are more families.” Furthermore, a local business owner observed that she had “seen a difference,” attributing it to an increase in international visitors to the vicinity. Despite the construction of almost 12,000 residences within and near the park since 2012, concerns persist regarding the housing provisions established. Professor Penny Bernstock, affiliated with the Housing Unit at the University Of East London, stated: “Newham borough is one of the legacy boroughs, and Newham has one of the highest levels of housing need in England.” She continued, “We won the Olympics because we were going to address the high levels of deprivation in the area.” She concluded, “Currently, Newham has a massive housing crisis, and what we’ve built on the park hasn’t met those needs.” Ms. Garner commented: “It’s really tricky for affordable housing in the financial environment that we face.” She affirmed, “We’ve always had the maximum numbers of affordable housing fitting with mayoral policy,” and further noted that “the athletes village was converted 50% affordable rent, 50% private rent.” The complete report is available for viewing on BBC Politics London via iPlayer. Audio highlights from BBC Radio London can be accessed on Sounds, and updates from BBC London are available on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story submissions can be sent to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk. This content is Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for material found on external websites. Information regarding the BBC’s policy on external links is also provided.