Work is well underway to create around 250 acres of new parklands, on former industrial land, that will provide a colourful and festival atmosphere for the London 2012 Games and afterwards become the largest new urban park in the UK for over a century. Over 1500 trees and thousands of wetland plants have been planted and meadows sown around the Olympic Stadium. The large wetland bowl in the north of the park is close to completion with riverside spectator lawns, timber seating, frog ponds, loggeries, wildflower meadows, woodlands and footpaths in place.
The permanent new Primary Substation, Sewage Pumping Station and Energy Centre are operational, while more than half of the new bridges and underpasses on the site are structurally complete.
(Latest employment figures show that as the ‘Big Build’ reaches its peak over 12,000 people are working on the Olympic Park and Village)