Plans for the Park Olympicopolis There’s plenty of Explore our plans for change on the way for a new cultural and the western side of the education district for Park. Find out more the Park on Page 4 on Page 2 PARK NEWS JANUARY 2015 EXPLORE YOUR PARK THIS YEAR! 2014 was a fantastic year for the last year. Pick up one of our free Park as we fully opened to the walking trails of the Park which public for the first time since the cover everything from arts and London 2012 Games, welcomed culture to the London 2012 Games. our three millionth visitor and Swim, cycle or work out in one of the delivered an incredible series Park’s world-class venues or watch of events, including the Invictus your local professional basketball Games, Great British Carnival team at the Copper Box Arena and the cycling elite take to the track at and National Paralympic Day. FIND YOUR WAY Lee Valley VeloPark. And for those As we look ahead to 2015, there is looking to burn off those festive With over 560 acres of open spaces, plenty more for local residents and calories with a healthy start there’s a lot to explore in the Park. visitors to look forward to – with so to the new year, we have a full range To help visitors find their way around, much on the horizon, why not see of activities as part of our Active we have installed new maps across the for yourself what Queen Elizabeth People, Active Park programme. Park highlighting all of the pathways, Olympic Park has to offer? venues, artworks and the surrounding Finally, we’re delighted to announce area. There are new finger posts Explore two new areas of the Park; that the Park’s seven TfL Year of the pointing the way to the Park’s major Mandeville Place, opening in spring Bus sculptures will remain on the Park landmarks, and Legible London this year, and the Canal Park, a new until the weekend of 24 and 25 markers to provide orientation. natural space located on the canal January, when they will be joined by As the Park continues to evolve, towpath opposite Hackney Wick over 50 more sculptures for a final these maps will be updated to reflect which began to open from December public display. See inside for details! the new entrances and facilities. 01 EVENTS ACTIVE PEOPLE, ACTIVE PARK JAN Free weekly sports activities, WEST OF THE PARK across the Park. Get active this January with a range There’s a lot of change on its way in 2015 for the western side of fitness sessions including of the Park, with a brand new area of parkland stretching along yoga and table tennis. the length of the Lee Navigation canal, consultations around 8 East London Mini Marathon, a new masterplan for regeneration in Hackney Wick, and the MAR across the Park. An development of two new communities on the Park itself. opportunity for young athletes to secure a place in Canal Park their borough’s team ahead The newest public area of the Park of the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon. opened at the end of 2014, turning the towpath along the Lee Navigation 9–13 Love Water Week, London MAR Aquatics Centre. If you canal into a beautiful new space full haven’t yet visited the of spaces to play, relax and enjoy the stunning London Aquatics views. Please note that during the first and play areas will be fenced off to Centre, now is your chance! few months, some of the planted areas protect the new planting. The venue will be running a series of swim sessions Hackney Wick as well as aqua volleyball, In early 2015, we will begin snorkelling and diving. consultation on a new masterplan for Hackney Wick. This will set out plans GENERAL EVENTS for development in the area, balancing JAN– Throughout the new year, plans for the area’s regeneration with MAR Lee Valley VeloPark will be the need to retain the character which hosting the Full Gas Cycling makes this corner of east London place. To provide local people with Winter Track League. See such a special place. At the same the opportunity to find out more some of the best cyclists time, plans are progressing for about the Hackney Wick masterplan, in London take to the upgrades to Hackney Wick station we will be running three public drop-in velodrome track for as little which will see greater accessibility sessions. For more information, please as £2 (£1 for concessions). and more modern facilities put in visit our website. 24–25 TfL Year of the Bus Sculpture JAN Weekend. A final opportunity East Wick and Sweetwater to view all 60 New Work on two new neighbourhoods Routemaster bus sculptures on the Park will take a step closer on the Park, fresh from their in the coming months with the trails across London. appointment of the site’s 7 FEB Great Britain Polar Plunge. developer following a competitive Take on the most extreme tender process. These vibrant sub-zero challenge ever! neighbourhoods will include Brave plungers are details of the first new school in the encouraged to submerge a mix of housing, from townhouses west of the Park, East Wick Primary themselves in 20 tons of looking out over green parklands School, have now been submitted freezing ice-filled water to canalside apartments. In addition, for planning approval. to raise money for Special Olympics GB. Here East 27–28 The Revolution Track Work has started on converting the FEB Cycling Series returns former Press and Broadcast Centres to Lee Valley VeloPark. into an exciting new creative and digital cluster, with the former Press LONDON LIONS FIXTURES Centre ready for occupation this 14 JAN v Bristol Flyers summer. Loughborough University 30 JAN v Bristol Flyers will welcome its first cohort of East from 5 – 8.30pm on Wednesday 6 FEB v Leeds Force students in October 2015, and the 4 February. There will be the former Broadcast Centre, which opportunity to meet the team carrying 13 FEB v Worcester Wolves already hosts BT Sport, will be open out the construction works, catch up 22 FEB v Surrey United for full occupation in early 2016. on latest developments at Here East 25 FEB v Glasgow Rocks and get an update on the timeline for Here East, together with its contractor 12 MAR v Manchester Giants development and how local people Laing O’Rourke, are inviting local 20 MAR v Cheshire Phoenix can get involved. residents to a drop-in session at Here 02 DEVELOPMENTS HUB 67 OPEN FOR BUSINESS Last month we officially opened our from cabins used in the London 2012 brand new Hackney Wick community Olympic and Paralympic Games, and centre, Hub 67. Located next to designed by local residents, it will Frontside Skate Park on Rothbury host events, classes, community Road, the Hub is designed around groups and coaching and much more. the needs of local residents, but in To find out more about the Hub, particular young people. Recycled visit www.hubsixtyseven.com MANDEVILLE PLACE YOUR CHANCE TO REUSE A PIECE OF THE PARK Work will soon be starting on Are you part of a charity, sports from some of the Park’s Games- our brand new area of the Park, team or social enterprise which time venues. For example, Lewisham Mandeville Place. Located on the would benefit from owning some Thunder Basketball Club are now highest part of the Park, on the route of the Park’s materials? We’ve making use of seating from the connecting the south of the Park with recently launched a website which temporary stands from the London the Copper Box Arena, the area will offers local community groups the Aquatics Centre. offer visitors the opportunity to chance to reuse a range of items If you think your organisation will celebrate the most successful from the Park for their own projects. benefit from any of these items, Paralympic Games in history. This includes fencing, timber, head to www.freeusable.co.uk The centrepiece of the area will be wheelie bins and even seating a stunning orchard which takes its inspiration from the use of apples in the 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony. Within this orchard, a CYCLE HIRE SCHEME SHAREEAST LAUNCHES brand new variety of apple will be EXTENDS TO QUEEN Get into the habit of sharing grown, named Paradice Gold by local this new year with ShareEast – ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK schoolchildren. The name combines a local initiative which allows Locals will be able to explore the word Paralympic with the first neighbours to share time and the beauty of Queen Elizabeth letters of the Paralympic Values; skills with one another. Members Olympic Park more easily after Determination, Inspiration, Courage exchange skills and items using the Mayor and Transport for London and Equality. Visitors to the area will a currency that values everyone confirmed that the capital’s flagship be able to sit beneath a canopy of and everything shared fairly. fruit trees and enjoy views of the Cycle Hire scheme will be expanding to the Park. ShareEast connects neighbours iconic venues of the Park. in East Village, Stratford, The eight new docking stations Mandeville Place will open in Hackney Wick and further will bring up to 320 docking points spring this year. afield. Membership is free to the LLDC area. Work on the and the possibilities are endless! expansion will begin this year and For more information, visit will be completed by early 2016. www.shareeast.co.uk NEW ROUTES INTO THE PARK New routes into the Park have recently Warton Road roundabout while the opened, including Carpenters Road Canal Park, which began to open in late connecting Carpenters Estate with the 2014, offers a new route into the north south of the Park.