2012 will have 'real legacy' on London

London 2012 will be the "Regeneration Games" and will leave a profound legacy on the British capital, the head of the Olympic Delivery Authority has said.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are still four years away, but at a dinner hosted by the British Urban Regeneration Association John Armitt affirmed that East London stood to undergo real transformation thanks to the Games.

He accepted that attention had thus far been focused on costs, but predicted that in the year ahead Londoners would begin to see the potential benefits of regenerating vast swathes of neglected industrial land in the east of the capital.

Mr Armitt noted that significant work has already gotten underway and that key stumbling blocks to urban renewal are slowly being dismantled.

"Since we gained possession of the Olympic Park last year, two-thirds of the site has been cleared," he told attendees at the dinner. "Later this year we will start removing 52 electricity pylons, a historic physical barrier to regeneration."

The Olympic Delivery Authority has said it will also unveil a series of skills and employment schemes over the next few weeks to illustrate the direct social benefits of the Games.

Published 15th February, 2008

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