Is London’s Olympic legacy worthy of a medal?
Following Team GB’s most successful overseas Games, there is concern from some about the real legacy of the 2012 London Olympics. Some have queried who new Legacy housing is targeted at, citing the huge disparities between sales prices and average local incomes in boroughs like Newham. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has also questioned whether affordable housing delivery, and indeed housing delivery generally, is as high as it should be.
It seems hard to believe today, but town planning used to be an Olympic event – held for four consecutive Games between 1928 and 1948. At the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932 John Hughes won gold for Team GB with a design for a stadium and sports and recreation centre for the City of Liverpool. True story.
Fast forward to Rio 2016 and following TeamGB’s most successful overseas Games, there is concern from some about the real legacy of the 2012 London Olympics.
Some have queried who new Legacy housing is targeted at, citing the huge disparities between sales prices and average local incomes in boroughs like Newham. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has also questioned whether affordable housing delivery, and indeed housing delivery generally, is as high as it should be.
The local community is also not convinced. For example, a petition has been raised to stop the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) from demolishing part of Vittoria Wharf to make way for a pedestrian footbridge linking Hackney Wick with new Legacy housing. Those petitioning say that the LLDC has explained that building the bridge will benefit the community, but contend that they are the community and that they are being deleted in the process. They have a point.
The real question should be, is there a bigger responsibility to deliver better development, which makes it befitting of an Olympic Legacy? And what makes development better?
Fast forward to Rio 2016 and following TeamGB’s most successful overseas Games, there is concern from some about the real legacy of the 2012 London Olympics.
Some have queried who new Legacy housing is targeted at, citing the huge disparities between sales prices and average local incomes in boroughs like Newham. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has also questioned whether affordable housing delivery, and indeed housing delivery generally, is as high as it should be.
The local community is also not convinced. For example, a petition has been raised to stop the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) from demolishing part of Vittoria Wharf to make way for a pedestrian footbridge linking Hackney Wick with new Legacy housing. Those petitioning say that the LLDC has explained that building the bridge will benefit the community, but contend that they are the community and that they are being deleted in the process. They have a point.
The real question should be, is there a bigger responsibility to deliver better development, which makes it befitting of an Olympic Legacy? And what makes development better?
"In total, there is planning permission for circa 18,000 new homes within the LLDC’s boundaries, with the quantum of affordable housing above the 28% London average for 2014/15. There are also plans for creating space for businesses, for new university campuses, for new museums; many amenities to make a place alive and successful."Caroline Harper Associate Director, Planning and Development, JLL
The dramatic transformation of Stratford and what is now the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is indisputable. There’s award winning architecture. There are terrific sports venues which are hosting big events like the track cycling and athletics World Championships. There’s a huge and busy shopping mall. The former athlete’s village has been converted into East Village, providing just shy of 3,000 residential units of which roughly 50% are affordable and most of the remainder are for private rent. In total, there is planning permission for circa 18,000 new homes within the LLDC’s boundaries, with the quantum of affordable housing above the 28% London average for 2014/15. There are also plans for creating space for businesses, for new university campuses, for new museums; many amenities to make a place alive and successful.
Some of the problems lie, perhaps, in understanding what the Legacy is meant to be. Part of this is a commitment to east London’s regeneration, but the practicalities of who benefits from this are pretty broad-brush. The Government’s 2015 Policy Paper talks about putting plans into action to create a lasting economic, sporting and cultural legacy that will benefit the whole country. The 2014 Long Term Vision produced by the Government and GLA talks of securing social and economic benefits for the whole city (of London). This is echoed in the London Plan, which looks to secure a lasting Legacy for Londoners. Then there’s the strategic regeneration framework developed by the Olympic host boroughs and endorsed by both the GLA and Government, which aims for the communities who hosted the 2012 Games to have the same social and economic chances as their neighbours across London. Arguably a Legacy which delivers for the country, for Londoners and for local communities is nigh on impossible.
In this context, how will Mayor Khan fulfil his Mayoral election manifesto to rebuild London’s Olympic Legacy? I’m not convinced it’s enough to up the quantum of affordable housing. The LLDC is a Mayoral Development Corporation and, following widespread compulsory purchasing in the run up to 2012, it controls a lot of the land within its boundaries. There is scope therefore for the Mayor to really involve himself in the Legacy. But in so doing it has to be more practical and more nuanced than simply shooting for undefined benefits for everyone.
Some of the problems lie, perhaps, in understanding what the Legacy is meant to be. Part of this is a commitment to east London’s regeneration, but the practicalities of who benefits from this are pretty broad-brush. The Government’s 2015 Policy Paper talks about putting plans into action to create a lasting economic, sporting and cultural legacy that will benefit the whole country. The 2014 Long Term Vision produced by the Government and GLA talks of securing social and economic benefits for the whole city (of London). This is echoed in the London Plan, which looks to secure a lasting Legacy for Londoners. Then there’s the strategic regeneration framework developed by the Olympic host boroughs and endorsed by both the GLA and Government, which aims for the communities who hosted the 2012 Games to have the same social and economic chances as their neighbours across London. Arguably a Legacy which delivers for the country, for Londoners and for local communities is nigh on impossible.
In this context, how will Mayor Khan fulfil his Mayoral election manifesto to rebuild London’s Olympic Legacy? I’m not convinced it’s enough to up the quantum of affordable housing. The LLDC is a Mayoral Development Corporation and, following widespread compulsory purchasing in the run up to 2012, it controls a lot of the land within its boundaries. There is scope therefore for the Mayor to really involve himself in the Legacy. But in so doing it has to be more practical and more nuanced than simply shooting for undefined benefits for everyone.
