Home to the 2012 Olympic Games
Situated on the critical link between Canary Wharf, the Royals and Stratford, the Lower Lea Valley has long been a regeneration priority for London, located within one of the most historically disadvantaged parts of the capital.
Now things are set to change as the Lower Lea Valley becomes the focus of a range of exciting developments which are already starting to transform the fortunes of the area.
Firstly, there has been an unprecedented investment in public transport with £17 billion committed before 2012. Interchanges at Canary Wharf, Stratford, West Ham and Canning Town, providing connections for north and south west London, the C2C line to the Essex coast, the Hammersmith & City line and the District line. One of the most dramatic changes to the landscape has already occurred with the Channel Tunnel Rail link at Stratford and service depot at Waltham Forest, which will provide links from King's Cross/St Pancras to continental Europe. A new DLR connection to London City Airport and Silvertown Quays opens in December 2005 and there are plans to extend the East London line from Dalston in the north to Crystal Palace in the south.
Secondly, £4 billion worth of private investment has been committed by the Stratford City consortium that is planning 4000 homes and a regional shopping centre to rival Bluewater. A new phase of Canary Wharf is also under development.
Plans are also being prepared for a high quality "water city" quarter utilising an extensive network of underused canals in Bow, and an ambitious programme to provide state of the art affordable homes will have a major impact in creating a new, high quality living environment for all.
Pride of place in the Lower Lea Valley will go to the London 2012 Olympic Games Precinct which will act as a global showcase for the area.
Already, 213 hectares of land is in public ownership and administrative arrangements to support the £2.3 billion public sector investment programme in sporting facilities and infrastructure is underway, with a new planning framework for the Lower Lea Valley due to be published next year.
Despite these impressive plans, the Lower Lea Valley still has opportunities for investment in order to ensure its visionary plans benefit local people and achieve prosperity for many years after the 2012 Games.
London Thames Gateway Development Corporation will be at the forefront of delivering the Olympic legacy.
View the Lower Lea Valley in our maps
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