All eyes have been on Tokyo as the Olympic Games are held in very different circumstances to ours in 2012 but any Games have to be about much more than a summer of sport.
That is why we’ve published our Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park strategy to 2025 showing the priorities for us in the years ahead as we continue the long-term work of delivering the regeneration legacy of 2012.
The strategy positions the park at the heart of London’s recovery as the capital starts to look beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, supporting local communities and businesses, driving innovation and investment and maintaining its status as a world class destination.
It sets out our commitment to work with our partners to deliver a bold vision for the park, so it continues to develop as an innovative and globally focused metropolitan centre with a strong focus on community and opportunity for local residents.
We know that there are challenges as we recover from the Covid-19 crisis, but there are also huge opportunities for us to build on the success of the Olympic legacy, to tackle inequalities and make a positive difference to the area and local people.
Together with our neighbouring boroughs, we want to ensure that the benefits of regeneration are felt as widely as possible.
We will be overseeing a great deal of change over the next few years with the opening of East Bank, the new home for great names in culture and education - including the V&A and BBC – being built in the heart of the park and the completion of residential developments.
We are committed to ensuring that this brings real and tangible opportunities for local people as well as raising the profile of the area more broadly. We will also be working with Newham Council to develop plans for the long-term redevelopment of Stratford Station.
One of the great legacy benefits is open space in the park itself and the summer holidays are the best time to see what is on offer.
This includes boat tours of the River Lea in the heart of the park and the swan pedalos are back on the water.
Our world class venues like the London Aquatics Centre, Copper Box Arena and Lee Valley VeloPark are open.
From The ArcelorMittal Orbit, you can enjoy views of the entire area from the UK’s tallest sculpture or try out the world’s tallest and longest tunnel slide.
There are lots of free activities with amazing playgrounds, wonderful planting and wildflowers and the Waterworks Fountain which is also open again.
This is your park and we want to continue to make it your favourite place to come because we know just how important the park has been in your lives during a really tough time.
We’ll keep you updated but visit queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk for more information on the strategy and what the park has to offer to you.
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