Mayor's Office Takes Control Of Olympic Park Planning

TimW
By TimW Last edited 146 months ago
Mayor's Office Takes Control Of Olympic Park Planning

Sometimes it seems as if there are more news stories about what happens after the Olympics than during it. The latest is an announcement from City Hall that a major new public body will, pending parliamentary approval, take over responsibility for the planning and development of the Olympic Park and surrounding area from April.

The Mayor has said the mayoral development commission (MDC)  would "promote and deliver physical, social, economic and environmental regeneration" following the summer Games.

The move, which was voted through by the London Assembly, brings the future of the Olympic Park under the control of City Hall and four local boroughs. An assembly spokeswoman said the development "sets a clear structure to deliver... regeneration and places responsibility for it firmly in the hands of the mayor."

The MDC will effectively take over from the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), a not-for-profit organisation that has thus far guided the long-term development of the project. The OPLC is currently in the process of starting again in its search for a permanent resident for the main stadium after the deal with the original contract winner, West Ham United, collapsed under the weight of various legal challenges.

It's been a busy few days of announcements for the Mayor, including developments in Greenwich and 'Boris Island' airport, which caused a media scrum yesterday. It's almost as if there is an election on.

Image by Andy Wilkes via the Londonist Flickr pool.

Last Updated 19 January 2012