London’s Mayor Ken Livingstone has approved a 3.5 billion pound expenditure to redevelop former railway land at Stratford, east London. The Stratford City development plan will create an office and retail hub with 5,000 houses and jobs for 34,000 people in the Thames Gateway.
The project, which will include hotel, conference, health, educations and community facilities, may also help London’s bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games since the new housing is next to the proposed site for the Olympic Village, said Livingstone.
The scheme includes 1,350 affordable housing units.
Lord Coe, chairman of London’s 2012 bid said, “the green light for Stratford City gives a further boost to our bid to host the Olympic Games in London in 2012. The development would help provide top-class accommodation for athletes at a London Games, and the brand new retail centre would provide fantastic new facilities for athletes and visitors to enjoy”.
According to the Guardian, “while politicians in east London support the Olympic bid, most consider the plans to redevelop the railway land more important. They have been keen not to endorse anything in the Olympic plan that might interfere with their ability to effect lasting change on one of the London’s most significant brownfield sites”.
