A representation of the Olympic Park with neighbourhoods attached. Photo: Olympic Park Legacy

A competition to name the five neighbourhoods for the future Olympic park launched yesterday.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) is inviting the public to suggesting names for the five new neighbourhoods, which includes areas in Tower Hamlets, Hackey and Newham, to be built on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park after the 2012 games.The ‘Your Park Your Place’ initiative asks residents to log on to the OPLC website and make their suggestions, with entries closing on May 18.

The neighbourhoods open in phases to the public from 2013, with families moving into the first new homes in 2015. Over the next 20 years, the neighbourhoods will accommodate up to 8,000 new homes sitting alongside the sporting venues, 6.5km of waterways, cultural attractions and open spaces.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Our city has some of the most famous place names of any city in the world, and with Londoners’ help I am sure we can come up with some names that put Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park well and truly on the map and resound for centuries to come.”

The OPLC will be encouraging local schools to participate in the competition, along with local community centres, faith centres and sports centres.
The entries will be judged by OPLC, the Museum of London Archaeology Service, representatives of the three boroughs, Waltham Forest, and the department for communities and local government. They will select the names from the entries based on popularity, historical referencing and their relation to the area’s diverse communities.

Andrew Altman, Chief Executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, said:”This is a unique opportunity to shape the history of London. We want people to feel a sense of ownership of their future Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the Your Park, Your Place competition is a great opportunity to get involved with the legacy plans.”

Visit www.legacycompany.co.uk for more information.