Long-lasting Games Legacy

Monday 10 September 2012

As the curtain closes on a record-breaking Paralympics, the Mayor Boris Johnson has hailed London’s ‘Golden Games’, pledging to secure an enduring legacy for the city. The Mayor also paid tribute to the army of workers and volunteers who worked to deliver the Games, which has exceeded expectations on all fronts.

London has succeeded in its aim to stage a ‘summer like no other’ hosting the world’s top athletes, millions of visitors, attracting unprecedented global TV audiences and today staging a parade to celebrate the outstanding performances of  TeamGB and ParalympicsGB.

An investment of £6.5billion into transport has kept the city moving with record numbers using the network, including 62 million journeys made on the Tube over the Olympics and initial figures showing ridership during the Paralympics up  by over 18 per cent compared to the previous year. Records were smashed on the Docklands Light Railway and Barclays cycle hire scheme, with the capital’s brand new Emirates Air Line hitting its millionth passenger milestone. Traffic was down 15 per cent during the Games, with drivers heeding advice about avoiding central London and other strategic routes.

A widely acknowledged highlight of the Games has been the tens of thousands strong army of volunteers recruited to  help people get to their destinations and greeted with a warm welcome. This has created a bank of community-minded Londoners that the Mayor is keen to recruit for future volunteering roles for the benefit of the city.

An estimated one million people stayed in London for the Olympics, joined by 5.5m day trippers. The Paralympics  also smashed previous attendance records, selling 2.7million tickets with around a quarter of a million of these sold to overseas guests. This has helped put London on track for another record year for tourism. Just as importantly, billions of people have been watching the Games on TV, seeing what London has to offer. Visit London’s website has already seen a 60 per cent increase in traffic. To seize the momentum generated by this exposure, the Mayor will next month launch a new global tourism campaign with the aim of playing back the iconic images, sights and sounds from Games-time to attract potential visitors keen for a taste of the 2012 Olympic city.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: ‘London’s Games have proven to be a mind-boggling success which  has broadcast to the world that we are dynamic city crammed with confidence, talent and opportunity. Those who griped and groaned over our ability to stage this sporting juggernaut have been resolutely smited by the relentlessly optimistic, ‘can-do’ mood that has swept over our nation.

‘The Olympic and Paralympic Games has taken years in the planning and there is a dedicated cast  of thousands to  offer our gratitude and without whom this glorious summer would not have been possible. This includes those who kept London working and a huge army of community-spirited volunteers. We must also pay tribute to our fantastic police and emergency services, the Armed Forces and security personnel, Transport for London staff and all transport workers.

‘The hard work does not end here. London is already reaping the benefits of the multi-billion investment into new  infrastructure that has ensured the smooth delivery of these golden Games. Capitalising on this once in a generation event has been at the heart of our planning from the outset and so my priority remains that the glories of this historic summer do not fade, instead transmuting into a fruitful legacy that will underpin this city’s economic vibrancy for decades to come.’

Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson, said: ‘London 2012 has been a fantastic Games and the whole country  should feel immensely proud of what has been achieved. Quite rightly our glorious athletes have taken centre stage thanks to their incredible achievements, but we should also pay tribute to the thousands of torch bearers, volunteers and other unsung heroes who have all played their part. The closing ceremony may draw the curtain on the Games but we are determined to deliver a genuine and lasting legacy from London 2012.’

The elite sport on London’s doorstep has proved infectious with grassroots sports programmes seeing a surge in  interest. Funded by the Mayor, the Parkrun programme is now attracting well over 20,000 runners per week and the Run! community athletics programme has seen 12,373 new participants since the start of the Games. London’s athletics clubs are seeing a greater than 25 per cent increase in membership enquiries. The Mayor is doing his bit to further capitalise on this surge in interest by committing a further £7m for investment in the years ahead. During the Games, the Mayor launched RideLondon, a two day world class festival of cycling next year to feature a series of events for amateur, club and world elite cyclists. Thanks to the Mayor, 125,000 tickets were given to London’s school children to enjoy the Games at no cost, helping to inspire the next generation. In addition, 1,100 Paralympics tickets were given out to children and volunteers from athletics clubs across the city and through the London Legacy Development Corporation, a further 10,000 Londoners in host boroughs won tickets to the Paralympics.

The Mayor has been using Games-time to bang the drum for London to investors who were also in town for the  sport. Through the Mayor’s hosting programme – arranged by the Mayor’s promotional and economic development organisation London & Partners – nearly 200 international business leaders have been shown the huge opportunities on offer. From this, 88 investment leads have already been generated and 70 international businesses are looking to establish or grow their London presence within the next 18 months. Business engagement through the Mayor’s programme, before, during and in the next 3 years after the Games is expected to create 10,000 jobs in London. One investor in attendance expressed strong interest in investing in the development of Crystal Palace, which alone could deliver thousands of jobs. A further 5,000 people have attended London House, a business marketing and networking hub at City Hall.

The record influx and movement of people coming into the capital over the summer has seen solid economic returns  across the capital, as the West End retail sector expected to see £250 million pour in on the back of the Games, boosting already high confidence in an area where 50 new store openings are planned in the coming months. In the first week of the Olympics, Visa’s spend tracker showed increased transactions up nearly 20 per cent in London’s restaurants and almost 25 per cent in the capital’s nightclubs whilst theatre and other ticket sales were boosted by 114 per cent.

London has created the definitive blueprint for delivering both a Games on time and on budget but also one focused  firmly on long-term legacy. The city has secured the future of six out of the eight venues on the Olympic Park – something that had never been achieved before – with serious and credible plans on the table for the Olympic Stadium and the Press and Broadcast Centre. The city’s ability to host elite sporting events is firmly established with international events already booked including the Athletics World Championships in 2017 and live bids for even more, including the 2016 Track Cycling World Championships. The city’s legacy stretches far beyond sport, with the creation of a new residential district and a world class visitor destination creating a major new cog in the engine of the city.

With the Paralympics returning to its birthplace, London has also raised the bar for future host cities, not least in  having delivered sell-out venues for the first time ever. The city’s accessibility legacy includes a set of long-term improvements including on the transport network and in the public realm. Through the London Legacy Development Corporation, the Mayor has pledged £2m to establish an annual festival of disability sport on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, creating new sporting, leisure and employment opportunities. The design of the Park has already raised the bar for inclusive design with its new homes, public spaces and sporting venues.