THE man in charge of the Olympic Park after the Games has said he is confident of overcoming the "challenge" of ensuring Waltham Forest residents benefit from it.

In an interview with the Waltham Forest Guardian, chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) Andrew Altman said he hoped the site would be well-used by families in the borough long after the athletes leave.

Further details of the site's £500million transformation after the Games have just been unveiled, which include plans to reopen the 'Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park' in phases between 2013 and 2014.

The plan is to divide the land into a vibrant, entertainment-focused 'South Park' and a more sedate landscaped, residential 'North Park' over the next few years.

Up to 11,000 homes will be built dotted around both areas, 35 per cent of which will be "affordable".

Waltham Forest will get an allocation of the accommodation, although the numbers are yet to be finalised.

Mr Altman admitted that the barrier of the busy A12 road between Waltham Forest and the main body of the Olympic Park was a "challenge", but said he hoped that good promotion and new pedestrian bridges would help tackle the problem.

He said: "We're working on the bridges to make sure people in Waltham Forest are going to have access to an absolutely fantastic, public park.

“There's a lot of great sporting benefits such as Eton Manor and the Velodrome which is very close to Waltham Forest in the North Park. There's going to be a lot here within easy access.”

Eton Manor in Leyton, which will host Paralympic wheelchair tennis games, is the only Games venue in the borough and is set to be the main sporting legacy for Waltham Forest.

The site will reopen to the public at the end of 2013 after being converted into a sports centre specialising in hockey and tennis.

Mr Altman declined to be drawn on fears that a major legacy of the Games could be damage to Leyton Orient Football Club if a top-flight football team takes over the running of the main Olympic Stadium.

He said: “I don't know if there would be an impact, but we don't even know if we're going to have a football team at the stadium, we'll just have to see how that will progress.”

He added: “This is very much a long-term project and we're looking forward to working closely with the borough of Waltham Forest in the coming years.”

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