Olympic deal to get local people working and training for 2012
A landmark agreement between London’s five Olympic Boroughs and central Government will lock in the benefits of the £9bn investment in the 2012 Olympics for local people.
John Denham, Communities Secretary, said:
“We promised that the Olympics would transform East London for years to come. Our joint aim is to close the gap between East London and the rest of London. This means more jobs, more skills training and a high quality environment. Narrowing the employment gap means at least 8,000 more jobs but we can aim as high as 40,000.”
London’s Olympic Boroughs are already working hard to deliver a successful 2012 Games, but every level of Government wants the legacy to change things for local people and the local area too. Central Government is making sure councils have all the powers and support they need to do that.
Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest have today signed an agreement with Government, known as a Multi-Area Agreement (MAA), which gives them new powers to unite and direct funding to boost local jobs and skills support and make sure public areas are ready to be showcased to the millions of visitors expected to come in 2012.
Many issues that affect people’s lives do not stop neatly at council boundaries. Councils will now be able to join forces through the MAA to mastermind solutions that could help thousands of people back into work, raise skills levels, and transform the public areas appearance.
This year the five boroughs received over £2bn in government grant and over £9bn is going into the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games including £350m to turn the Olympic Park from a Games venue into a new city district. Almost £500m has been committed to improving transport links.
In addition a deal, announced yesterday, to transfer the Olympic Park land to the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) has secured an excellent value for money basis to regenerate East London. It will mean 10,000 homes and 10,000 new jobs; three new primary schools; a secondary school; health facilities; a modern commercial sector and waterside park.
March 17 2010
