London’s chances of hosting the 2012 Olympics have been boosted by news that Ken Livingstone has approved plans for Stratford City in East London.
Ken Livingstone has approved plans for a new "City" in East London. The decision to give Stratford City the go-ahead will boost London’s chances of hosting the 2012 Olympics as the development is adjacent to the proposed site of the 2012 Olympics and could form part of the athletes' village.
The 73-hectare site will include 5,000 homes, 120 shops and 460,000sq m of commercial space creating around 34,000 new jobs. The construction work is expected to take between 15 to 20 years and provide 4,000 new jobs.
Newham Council has already approved the scheme by the Stratford City Development Partnership, which comprises developers Chelsfield and Stanhope and London & Continental Railways, the builders of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link station at Stratford.
The scheme now requires final approval from the government, which is expected in the next two weeks.
