Nick Bitel, chief executive of the Virgin London Marathon, and Sir Edward Lister, London Mayor Boris Johnson's chief of staff, are on the newly constituted Board that will oversee development in place of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC).

This new body will have greater powers than the OPLC over the future Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford with a remit for planning and influence over fringe areas around the Park.

It will also be accountable to the London Mayor as a Mayoral Development Corporation.

Already six of the eight permanent Olympic venues have their future secured, with the remaining two to be completed this summer, and last week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge commended London for "raising the bar on how to deliver a lasting legacy" and creating "a legacy blueprint for future Games hosts".

Over the course of 2012, the Development Corporation's work will include confirming the additional uses of the Olympic Stadium.

In that time it is also scheduled to announce plans for the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and an anchor tenant for the Main Press Centre and International Broadcast Centre, as well as publishing a pioneering sustainability strategy for the Park and launching a bidding process for future events and attractions.

The corporation will also appoint a developer for the first new neighbourhood – Chobham Manor – and secure the planning application for five new park neighbourhoods.

The Development Corporation will be a 'single point of contact' for regeneration – landowner, developer, planning authority and investor.

This groundbreaking format has been created through powers given to the Mayor of London in the Localism Act 2011 and will be accountable to Londoners through the office of the Mayor.


Andrew Altman (pictured), chief executive of the LLDC, said: "Legacy plans are further ahead than any previous Olympic host city.

"The creation of the London Legacy Development Corporation will ensure we deliver our vision for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and surrounding areas and bring benefits to London in the long term.

"This is the next step in the legacy story.

"The Development Corporation's wider remit and powers will provide much needed certainty to the private sector to continue their investment in the park and East London, with the opportunities generated from this benefitting local communities."

Minister for Olympic Legacy, Bob Neill, said: "The Olympic Park represents the most significant regeneration project of the next 25 years.

"The Government is ensuring there is a lasting legacy from the Games and the creation of the LLDC will take forward the future of the Park by now transferring responsibility to the Mayor of London.

"We have delivered tremendous public transport, housing and quality of life improvements in East London and have secured private sector investment.

"I look forward to seeing real local leadership in action as the Mayor takes forward this legacy."

Sonita Alleyne, Nicky Dunn and Jayne McGivern, like Bitel and Lister, are signed up for three years until March 31, 2015.


Baroness Margaret Ford (pictured far right), chair of the OPLC, will be LLDC's interim chairman until she steps down on October 31.

She has already agreed to stay on until after the London 2012 Games end in September.

Elizabeth McMahon will also serve until October 31, Robert John and Philip Lewis, will serve until December 15, while David Edmonds (pictured far left), David Gregson, Keith Edelman (second on left) and Lord Andrew Mawson will be members through to December 15, 2013.

These appointments are made until the dates on which their appointments to the OPLC board were due to expire.

And Hackney Mayor Jules Pipe, Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales, Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman and Waltham Forest Council leader Chris Robbins are all set to serve until May 1, 2014.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
February 2012: Baroness Margaret Ford to step down as OPLC chair
January 2012: Olympic Park Legacy Company to be "wound up" as Boris Johnson takes over
June 2010: Boris Johnson wants to control future of London 2012 Olympic legacy