Unique view of Queen Elizabeth Park… a work in progress

A work in progress. That’s the Queen Elizabeth Park or the Olympic Park as most locals still refer to it. It will take a while for the name change to make its way into our memory banks.

But as the new pictures I took from the sky  this week show, the park and the development of the entire Olympic site is all coming along nicely.

I took them in a helicopter trip over the park this week. I had the joy of having a front row seat next to the pilot on a special journey. We set off from the base of Adventure001 in North Weald for the trip to the park and it was a great experience.

Much of the landscape of that part of Stratford seen from the sky in those iconic shots during the Games has changed.

The Olympic site is being transformed into the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park after the Games and managed by the London Legacy Development Corporation.

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will be 560 acres in size – equivalent to Hyde Park or 357 football pitches.

Around £300m is being spent on transforming the Olympic site into a new piece of London after the Games. The project is called ‘Clear, Connect, Complete’.

This money is spent on:

* Clearing Games overlay including temporary venues, walkways and stands.

* Connecting the Park to the surrounding areas with new roads and pathways.

* Completing the Park’s venues to their legacy designs.

The development of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is also acting as a catalyst for regeneration for the whole of east London.

£12.5 billion has been invested into the Stratford area by the public and private sectors (not including the cost of building the Park).

British Athletics will host three days of world-class athletics action from 26 to 28 July, on the anniversary of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games will span three days of athletics, with IAAF Diamond League action on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, featuring the return of many Olympic champions, and a third day of action on the Sunday dedicated to showcasing the Paralympic champions of 2012.

The first maion area of the park will be the North Park , which in addition to the community hub includes acres of vibrant green parklands and footpaths, perfect for picnics, walks and play. Also here, the Multi-Use Arena, a 7,500 capacity indoor entertainment venue will host a range of community events, along with a yearly programme of high profile sports and concerts. The Legacy Corporation say they will celebrate the opening of the North Park with an event for local residents and visitors.

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Pictures: Colin Grainger