LOWER LEA VALLEY - OLYMPIC PARK

• LOCATION?

  EAST LONDON ALONG THE RIVER LEA
• WHY DID THE AREA GO INTO DECLINE?

  The closing of the ports, increase in manufacturing abroad and growth of tertiary and quaternary industries = many factories closed and people moved away - became derelict
• WHAT HAPPENED IN 2007?

  London won the bid for the 2012 Olympics and choose the Lower Lea Valley as the site for the Olympic Park.
• 3 SOCIAL BENEFITS OF THE DEVELOPMENT:

  • NEW TRANSPORT LINKS
  • NEW LEISURE AREAS - WESTFIELD - SWIMMING CENTRES- NEW SPORT VENUES
  • 2800 NEW HOMES WITH 8000 MORE PLANNED BY 2030
• 3 ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF THE DEVELOPMENT:

  • 35 BUSINESSES (SHOPS, GYMS, BARS...)
  • OFFICES EMPLOYING 25000
  • WESTFIELD 10,000
• 2 ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS:

  • QUEEN ELIZABETH PARK WITH MORE THAN 100 HECTARES OF OPEN SPACE
  • 10 HECTARES OF PARKS AND OPEN SPACE IN EAST VILLAGE
• 3 NEGATIVES OF THE DEVELOPMENT:

  1. it costs £9.3B for one area for Olympics
  2. People were relocated from their homes
  3. The area improved so much that it became too expensive for residents to continue living there.