Revised post-Olympic plans ditch ‘soulless’ apartments

A revised masterplan for the Olympic park after 2012 has been drawn up that reveals a shift away from high-density apartments to more traditional, family homes.

Following a consultation the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) has generated plans for the construction of about 8,000 homes, excluding the 2,800-home athletes’ village.

This is a reduction from the original plan for 10,000-12,000 units.

Margaret Ford, chair of the OPLC, said this week that it had become clear during the consultation that the original scheme, which was devised by Aecom, Allies and Morrison and KCAP, was not appropriate to the park setting.

“Many of the blocks were bland and soulless and turned their backs on the park,” said Ford.

The masterplan will go for outline planning consent next year.

In the modified scheme the park is divided into two distinct areas: the southern end, which includes the main stadium and aquatic centre and is described as “more urban”; and the 15ha northern section, which has stronger landscaping and includes green spaces and waterways.

The first phase of the plan, which is likely to start on site in 2013, will be the “family neighbourhood” between the velodrome and the athletes’ village. About 400 terraced houses will be built in the first phase, including affordable homes for sale and rent. This will eventually increase to 1,000.

On the west of the park are plans for more three and four-storey terraced housing flanking the River Lee and a signature crescent of houses that will take its scale and design cues from the housing lining Regent’s park.

A campus-style, mixed-use district of commercial and residential developments is planned for the area around the broadcast centre.

The revised plan was drawn up by the original team, with the help of Panter Hudspith, Caruso St John, Maccreanor Lavington, Witherford Watson Mann and landscape designers Vogt and West 8.