London 2012 Olympic Games: scoping the analytical and legacy issues for Communities and Local Government

London 2012 Olympic Games: scoping the analytical and legacy issues for Communities and Local Government Summary www.communities.gov.uk community, opportunity, prosperity London 2012 Olympic Games: scoping the analytical and legacy issues for Communities and Local Government Summary Cambridge Policy Consultants September 2009 Department for Communities and Local Government The findings and recommendations of this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Communities and Local Government. Department for Communities and Local Government Eland House Bressenden Place London SW1E 5DU Telephone: 020 7944 4400 Website: www.communities.gov.uk © Queen’s Printer and Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office 2008 Copyright in the typographical arrangement rests with the Crown. This publication, excluding logos, may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium for research, private study or for internal circulation within an organisation. 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If you require this publication in an alternative format please email alternativeformats@communities.gsi.gov.uk Communities and Local Government Publications Tel: 030 0123 1124 Fax: 030 0123 1125 Email: product@communities.gsi.gov.uk or online via the Communities and Local Government website: www.communities.gov.uk September 2009 Product Code 08ACST 05549/s ISBN: 978 1 4098 0527 4 Contents 3 Contents Foreword Aims of the study What are the primary benefits that the Department and its partners should be looking to derive from the Games? Lessons from previous Games How the Olympics can address physical, economic and social regeneration in London, the Thames Gateway, and the nation? Conclusions 4 6 6 7 9 11 4 London 2012 Olympic Games: scoping the analytical and legacy issues for Communities and Local Government - Summary Foreword This study was commissioned by Communities and Local Government in 2007 through its New Horizons Research Programme. The authors, Cambridge Policy Consultants (CPC) were asked to highlight the key linkages between the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, and the Department’s policy remit and objectives. The reader should note that the views expressed here are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government or Communities and Local Government. The aim of the report was to inform the development of the Department’s thinking regarding the legacy of the Games, including its scope, an assessment of the evidence and transferable lessons from other recent Games, and what actions we might have to take to secure and maximise the legacy benefits. As such, the findings of the report have been used for several purposes, including identifying questions for the Legacy Masterplan Framework (the spatial masterplan for transforming the Olympic Park) to address, and the development of future work and wider Olympic evaluations. The report should be seen as an addition to the evidence base. The questions raised in the report do not represent a definitive list of policy issues that must be addressed, nor should they be seen as a statement of future policy. This report provides a useful snapshot of legacy issues in 2007, many of which had already been factored into our legacy planning. However, the rapid rate of progress across the Olympic Programme means that many of the issues raised in this report have already been addressed or overtaken by events, for example the global economic downturn. The effect of the downturn has been to create a more challenging environment, but with careful management challenges are being contained and controlled within the existing budget. London has benefited from the experience of the successful Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, and has closely studied the lessons which can be applied from recent Games. One of the lessons learnt is the need to start legacy planning early and London 2012 is unique in having considered legacy from the very beginning of our bid. Legacy planning has continued as a priority and in June 2008 the Government published the Legacy Action Plan Before, during and after: making the most of the London 2012 Games setting out plans for the long-term benefits that can be stimulated through London hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. This is the first time a host city has published such a document before their Olympiad has begun. The plan builds on five legacy promises, setting out concrete long-term objectives covering tourism, jobs and skills, education, sustainability, sport, business and regeneration. The Legacy Action Plan has been agreed and signed up to across the whole of government, creating a framework for a coherent and integrated approach by government and partners. London 2012 Olympic Games: scoping the analytical and legacy issues for Communities and Local Government - Summary 5 Legacy benefits are happening now. The economic benefits are already evident. Between them ODA and LOCOG will directly procure £6bn of contracts, which will generate around 75,000 opportunities in their supply chains, and early indications show that businesses from the UK are helping to make the Games a success. There will be opportunities for businesses of all sizes and from a range of sectors to get involved. Businesses interested in supplying the Games can register on CompeteFor, the brokerage system for buyers and suppliers. Over 4,000 people are already working on site. The ODA and its partners will provide 2,250 apprenticeship, training and work placement opportunities over the life of the build. UK Trade and Investment has also developed a number of programmes to capitalise on the increased potential of inward investment created by the Games, as well as offering support for businesses looking to capitalise on export opportunities. Wider legacy benefits already include the Personal Best programme which helps people, particularly those furthest from the labour market, develop skills for work through volunteering. We envisage there will be up to 9-10,000 new permanent jobs and more than 10-12,000 new mixed tenure homes, with up to 35 per cent affordable housing, in the Olympic Park and surrounding areas after the Games in legacy. Our legacy plans recognise that physical regeneration is just one aspect of regeneration and we are developing plans with partners to address the wider social, environmental and economic regeneration priorities. For example, employment and skills pathways and mixed provision housing have been embedded in plans from the beginning in addition to the creation of new jobs and homes. The Government is committed to making the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games much more than a great sporting occasion. 6 London 2012 Olympic Games: scoping the analytical and legacy issues for Communities and Local Government - Summary Aims of the study 1 Communities and Local Government commissioned Cambridge Policy Consultants (CPC) to carry out a study to scope the analytical issues for assessing the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in terms of the Department’s key policy interests. It does not include the development of a comprehensive Olympics evaluation framework, but will inform the Department and is intended to feed into an over-arching Olympic evaluation strategy led by the Government Olympic Executive. This study has two key aims: 1. To set out how and the extent to which the objectives for the 2012 Olympics interacts with the Department’s policy programme. This stage of the study should identify and develop key analytical questions and issues for the Department. 2. To identify aspects of the legacy of the 2012 Olympics in terms of Communities and Local Government objectives, and how these might be achieved and or evaluate. The approach comprises the following elements: • a review of the expected legacy benefits/effects from London 2012 against Departmental objectives and policy priorities following the identification of broad policy areas of interest and the definition of appropriate spatial areas and target groups • an analysis of the logic chains outlined in strategy documentation and business plans for delivering the London 2012 legacy • a review of the literature on the previous experience of legacy benefits identifying methodologies for attributing legacy benefits and establishing additionality • summarising the legacy in terms of the relevance to Departmental priorities and objectives, the scale of expected benefits and contribution to Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets, the cost, other factors such as existing Departmental commitments and risk factors 2 What are the primary benefits that the Department and its partners should be looking to derive from the Games? 3 The main connections between the Olympic agenda and policy priorities (PSAs and areas of policy responsibility, particularly sustainable communities and regeneration) are found in the potential legacy benefits of London 2012 (see figure 1). The Department and its local and regional partners (such as GLA, LDA and the five Olympic host boroughs will establish the strategic direction of policy and its local level implementation and delivery in order to secure the legacy benefits of the 2012 Games. London 2012 Olympic Games: scoping the analytical and legacy issues for Communities and Local Government - Summary 7 Figure 1: How the London 2012 Games relates to the Department’s Strategic Objectives London 2012 Olympics Building prosperous Communities/Regeneration (objective 2) Facilitating sustainable development (objective 5) Primary Impacts Catalyst for improving local service delivery (objective 1) Additional housing supply (objective 4) Secondary Impacts Creating cohesive communities (objective 3) Indirect Impacts 4 Of primary interest is Olympic and Paralympic Games Programme Strategic Objective 3, namely the maximisation of economic, social, health and environmental benefits that the Games bring to London, the nation, and all sections of their respective populations. Within this framework, it identifies the following key indicators: (i) contributing to the Sustainable Communities programme (including the Thames Gateway), (ii) agreeing and promoting sustainable development and procurement policies, and (iii) ensuring that the UK’s diverse communities are engaged with and benefit from the Games, and how they relate to five out of the Department’s six departmental strategic objectives (DSOs), as well as a number of the existing PSA targets in the 2004-07 CSR. Lessons from previous Games 5 There is a growing body of research on the impacts derived from previous Olympic Games. Many of the lessons are captured in University of East London (UEL)’s report A Lasting Legacy for London (UEL, 2007). Other lessons which are primarily concerned with translating policy into action from the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games are captured in the City Council’s report 2002 Lessons Learned (Manchester City Council, 2002). Several of the lessons apply to achieving outcomes that are desired for East London. East London has a specific set of needs that could in part be met by the outcomes from the 2012 Olympic Games, in terms of economic and sustainable development and liveability, engagement in employment, transforming its image, tourism and enterprise. 8 London 2012 Olympic Games: scoping the analytical and legacy issues for Communities and Local Government - Summary 6 Recognising that the Olympic Games cannot deliver a complete solution, we need to take a realistic view of what the benefits for East London from the Games might be and the issues to be addressed to achieve them, thus providing a framework for understanding and taking action to achieve the legacy. There is a general consensus in the literature regarding the potential benefits and catalytic effect of the Olympics, but most existing studies tend to approach the subject rather like a balance sheet with increased global visibility, investment in infrastructure, community interest and pride in hosting the Games on the one side and challenging perceptions, community engagement, sports participation and health and regeneration benefits on the other. Previous research does not elaborate or evidence how these benefits are brought about. Without establishing a theory of change to understand the processes by which the “Olympic effect” works, it is difficult to identify which benefits can be attributed to the Games and which benefits would be realised anyway. In most studies, the question of what additional benefits the staging of the Games brings over and above the investment in Games-related infrastructure is not addressed; essentially, what part of the benefits arise from the staging of an iconic event and what part from the associated investment in transport of other Games-related infrastructure? It is important to distinguish here between Games-related infrastructure and wider infrastructure to realise broader regeneration goals. Costs for hosting the Olympics tend to be understated and benefits overstated, either as part of the bidding process or in the run up to the Games and most studies struggle to attribute benefits specifically to the Olympic Games in the longer term (after one year or so) due to the interplay with other regeneration activities and external factors. There is a danger that this raises expectations, particularly in local communities. Furthermore, external economic changes can have a major impact not only on the scale and nature of benefits but also on their distribution. “Hard” legacy gains in terms of infrastructure, the reorientation of city spaces, improved amenity, new types of land use and economic activity are seen in all cities. Some of these become iconic images, creating a showcase or catalytic effect. Barcelona, and to a lesser extent Sydney, are acknowledged success stories in urban renewal, with soft legacy gains of confidence, buzz, reputation, being tourist driven and acquiring commercially driven national and international status and pride of place. However, in Sydney’s case, concerns have been expressed that the Games did comparatively little to promote social inclusion for its Aboriginal community. There is limited evidence that these benefits were shared equally across different communities, especially in terms of any housing legacy. In Atlanta some poorer neighbourhoods were re-located to make way for Games facilities leaving a legacy of bad feeling. The sale of housing post-Sydney was hailed as achieving 7 8 9 10 11 London 2012 Olympic Games: scoping the analytical and legacy issues for Communities and Local Government - Summary 9 premium prices, however, there was no opportunity for affordable housing and the resulting ownership was perceived to have contributed to gentrification of the area. Even in Barcelona, there is little evidence that local communities shared in any housing benefit. 12 Some of the outcomes in previous host cities also reflect the potentially weaker aspects of the Games legacy, such as: • no sustained uptake of sports participation • limited impact on local unemployment and inactivity rates – most Games did not have a pro-active strategy to address these issues • a small legacy of a few hundred volunteers left out of the 10,000 or so that participated in the Games • only Barcelona and Manchester have developed a lasting legacy momentum but in each case the sporting event has been one part of a wider approach to regeneration How the Olympics can address physical, economic and social regeneration in London, the Thames Gateway, and the nation? 13 The bid for the London 2012 Olympics was successful largely because it promoted a legacy from the Games that could be used to address regeneration issues in East London. The Government is the lead for objective 3 as it relates nationally, and the Mayor is the lead for London. The LDA has an explicit role as the interim Legacy Client to lead delivery of an integrated physical, economic and social legacy for the five boroughs and wider Lower Lea Valley. To exploit the potential of London 2012 for East London, it is necessary to explore the nature of the potential benefits, and equally importantly, what actions the Department and its delivery partners might need to consider in order to ensure that the benefits are delivered. Key issues to be addressed include: • What could London 2012 do for business and leisure tourism? • What will encourage more local people to participate in the labour market? • What will encourage more local and City based businesses to recruit residents of East London and the Thames Gateway? • How can excluded groups such as young people from local black and minority ethnic communities access work-based training opportunities and what needs to be done to ensure parity in outcomes with their white counterparts? • What needs to be done to grow development at Canary Wharf north eastwards? • How can the Cultural Olympiad activities and the pride in hosting London 2012 be harnessed to build stronger bridges between communities in East London? 10 London 2012 Olympic Games: scoping the analytical and legacy issues for Communities and Local Government - Summary 14 There are five main areas of benefit that the Department needs to ensure are delivered in order to meet their Departmental objectives and the three Olympic sub-objectives (3.1.5, 3.1.6 and 3.1.8, sustainable communities (including Thames Gateway), sustainable development and diversity respectively) for which they are lead stakeholder. These are: • access to employment opportunities and business support for new starts and business growth, particularly for the unemployed and inactive (for employment) • affordable housing (for mixed communities) • sports participation (for health and wellbeing) • engaging with the local communities and involving disadvantaged and minority groups (for social cohesion) • maintaining the legacy momentum for regeneration by working with other Departments’ objectives. Such are the interdependencies between existing service delivery and successful legacy outcomes, all Departments will need to work closely together to ensure outcomes for local people are in line with expectations 15 On a note of caution, none of the previous Olympics, not even Sydney, have significantly increased sports participation to a level or duration where this might conceivably lead to health benefits. It will need a carefully thought through approach to succeed. Tourism and inward investment are outside the responsibility of the Department and will have limited impact on the Department’s PSAs. However, they are important to support the perceptions of a successful Olympics, and as contributors to past Games’ economic impact. The Cultural Olympiad will begin in 2008, with a programme including the mandatory ceremonies, major and bid projects (mostly national) and the UK Cultural Festival, based in local communities and lead by a team of creative programmers, of which there will be one in each region. The concern is that this will be treated more like a short term event to capture the attention of the world rather than playing a key role in engaging with communities disconnected from each other and from the mainstream. The Department will need to work within the governance structure to ensure that these opportunities are not overlooked. At a policy level, the Department should provide leadership to enable Gamesrelated initiatives to engage and deliver to local communities and also perform a challenge function as a critical friend. In support of this role, it should also provide a bridge to local community and faith groups and regeneration professionals who are experienced and familiar with the engagement and delivery issues to ensure that initiatives which are based on a comprehensive analysis of statistical data also consider the views and perceptions of local people. 16 17 18 London 2012 Olympic Games: scoping the analytical and legacy issues for Communities and Local Government - Summary 11 Conclusions 19 Whilst the literature identifies a range of potential legacy benefits of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, including: • the physical infrastructure for the Games itself, and its post Games use • the related regeneration of socio-economically deprived areas, either through its catalytic effect of accelerating proposed development or promoting the development of projects that would not otherwise have happened • provision of employment opportunities, especially for local communities, and encouraging the upskilling of the workforce • opportunities to improve social inclusion and community cohesion through the sporting and cultural Olympiad • encouraging a ‘feel good factor’ amongst residents of host cities and nations, promoting confidence and pride through hosting a showcase event • encouraging the improvement of public service delivery, especially to minority and excluded groups 20 Nevertheless, the actual processes by which economic and social benefits accrue to host cities and nations are not well defined beyond the plausible theoretical links. It is perhaps only since Barcelona in 1992 that the idea the Games should provide a social and economic legacy has taken hold. Nevertheless, the Games is a means to a wide range of opportunities to enhance East London and its residents but in a number of areas, the existing service delivery is not up to national standards. To achieve the legacy objectives set for the Games, the process needs to more than make up for this: • local employment for the local unemployed/economically inactive is something that other Olympics have not been able to deliver and will require much greater co-ordinated action to secure. A key issue is to identify the barriers to accessing employment • there is little evidence on the inclusion of local communities in post-Games development of new housing through provision of affordable homes or other initiatives • the evidence of impact on sports participation is, at best, minor and transitory. Every opportunity needs to be exploited for its legacy potential to engage people and more needs to be done to explore the importance and involvement in sports of different local communities 21 22 A truly significant legacy from London 2012 would involve a shift, not just a shift, better coordination in the delivery of public services – employment, skills, housing, health and community – such that the people of East London can benefit to the same degree as residents in other parts of London and the UK. 12 London 2012 Olympic Games: scoping the analytical and legacy issues for Communities and Local Government - Summary 23 The issues raised above represent a significant challenge to London – to achieve where others have failed in whole or in part. A major issue has been the failure to deliver benefits to the local communities where the Games are actually staged. For London, this is a key issue because a celebration of London’s diversity was central to the winning bid for London 2012. At a policy level, the Department should provide leadership to enable Gamesrelated initiatives to engage, join-up, and deliver to local communities. Therefore, the primary role should be a challenge function, acting as a critical friend by: • working with local regeneration practitioners, faith and community groups to provide a bottom-up perspective on developing a legacy for London 2012 • working with local partners to tackle the problem of engagement of local people in certain service areas which need to be addressed, and explore why these problems have arisen • articulating these views to partners involved in delivery of the Games to help construct a stronger legacy – it also should be more dynamically involved in these partnerships to help realise legacy outcomes 24 25 To take this agenda forward, some suggested actions include: • provide leadership in commissioning by developing a network connecting providers and commissioners to maximise the legacy benefits • promote local activities to partners, emphasising the celebration of cultural differences, promoting awareness and removing prejudice from economic and social life • bring forward their local and national expertise on effective approaches to community engagement and support the involvement of local regeneration and community organisations in the five boroughs to make the most of this opportunity • ensure high quality housing management for East London, especially for the large scale introduction of new housing after the Olympics closing ceremony • ensure minimum standards for planning to underpin the enhancements of the built environment associated with the Olympics 26 Some of the potential benefits in East London can be rolled out to the regions. For many regions (notably the North West), there is a realistic expectation that proactive involvement in London 2012 provides an opportunity to engage different sections of the community and encourage them to behave and think a little differently about how to secure possible Olympic legacy benefits. A key part of the Department’s responsibilities in helping to oversee this process is to learn the lessons arising from this approach and consider the extent to which London 2012 will prove to be a catalyst for change in public service delivery to residents of deprived communities. ISBN 978-1-4098-0527-4 ISBN: 978 1 4098 0527 4 9 781409 805274