Major New Boost to London 2012 Legacy with UK's Largest Indoor Ski Facility in Stratford

Mayor confirms major new boost to London 2012 legacy with construction of UK’s largest indoor ski facility in Stratford

• £67.5 million worth of contracts awarded for Olympic stadium redevelopment

• House building on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to be accelerated

• Discussions underway on new UCL university campus on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has welcomed ambitious plans by Westfield to build the UK's largest indoor ski facility in Stratford, East London.

Westfield Stratford City will submit a planning application to LLDC by the end of the summer for a major leisure attraction on land adjacent to its retail operations, to include London's first indoor ski facility. The new ski centre would be more than double size of other similar UK centres and be comparable with Ski Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The planning application is also expected to include retail, hotel and restaurant opportunities.

The Mayor and the LLDC have also announced today the awarding of multi-million pound contracts to convert the Olympic stadium, securing its long-term, multi-purpose use. The E20 Stadium Partnership - set up between the LLDC and Newham Council - has awarded a series of major contracts, with Balfour Beatty Group Limited delivering a £41m contract to carry out works on the stadium roof. This will help convert it into an all-round multi-use venue and deliver a lasting sporting, cultural and commercial legacy in east London.

Balfour Beatty will begin to dismantle the existing roof and floodlight towers from autumn 2013. Once the existing roof and floodlight towers are removed a new roof will be built and lifted into position. It will be twice the size of the original at around 45,000sq metres and will cover every seat in the ground and improve the acoustics for matches and concerts.

In addition, Imtech G&H will deliver a £25m contract for electrical and plumbing work in the stadium and Carey's PLC have won a £1.5m contract to carry out preparatory work for Balfour Beatty. In addition, the Mayor has also confirmed today that the LLDC is in substantive discussions with University College London (UCL) about developing a major new UCL campus on the Olympic Park. This follows yesterday’s announcement that the Mayor and the LLDC are set to speed up the creation of new neighbourhoods on the Olympic Park, to include 1,600 homes completed and fully occupied by 2023, rather than 2029 as originally planned.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "One year on from London's Olympic and Paralympic Games and we are defying the sceptics who prophesied a herd of white elephants. This weekend, elite athletics returns to the magnificent Olympic stadium and major contracts are now in place to transform the venue into a multi-sport arena. In further good news, Stratford's status as a stunning new destination is confirmed by Westfield's plans for a world-class indoor ski centre. This underscores the massive confidence in this area from investors which is delivering a real pay back for taxpayers in terms of jobs and the regeneration of East London."

The retractable seating arrangements in the Stadium will allow for seats to be moved backwards and forwards depending on the type of event taking place. It will allow pitch side football viewing while retaining the iconic international class running track.

The Stadium will see the return of Olympic and Paralympic super-stars this weekend with three days of world class athletics action during the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games (26-28 July). The Games are part of the celebrations to mark the anniversary of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony.

London’s legacy planning is firmly on track, ahead of any previous host city. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s 8 venues have long term secure private sector futures and the Mayor is committed to deliver 11,000 homes and 10,000 jobs on the site. From Stratford to the Lower Lee Valley to the Royal Docks regeneration is bringing thousands more homes and jobs. New timelapse footage released today shows the huge amount of progress that has been made since the end of the Games. - See more at: http://www.london.gov.uk/media/mayor-press-releases/2013/07/major-new-boost-to-london-2012-legacy-with-uk-s-largest-indoor#sthash.xWm2I3Df.dpuf

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