2012 Olympic Games

Client: London & Continental Railways, Lend Lease, Transport for London
Practice areas involved: real estate, planning, corporate, construction
Value: £4 billion



Herbert Smith’s involvement with Stratford City goes back to the mid 1990s when the site was acquired for the new Stratford International Station on the UK’s first high speed rail link, now called HighSpeed 1.

In 2002 we concluded a development agreement with a developer for the regeneration of the remainder of the site and over the next three years we acted for the developer in securing planning permission for the development – one of the biggest single planning permissions granted at that time. The grant of this planning permission and the preliminary work undertaken at the site was a key factor in securing the 2012 Olympic Games for London.

Following the award of the Olympic Games to London, we acted on the negotiations with the Olympic Delivery Authority for the development of the Olympic Village on part of Stratford City. Subsequently, we acted for Lend Lease (the contractor appointed by the Olympic Delivery Authority) on revising the planning permission to accommodate the Olympic Village and to deliver the legacy for this area of London after the Games. The complexity of the site, the number of parties involved and the imperative of ensuring that the Olympic facilities are delivered on time made this a very challenging project.

Our association with the site continues. We are now involved in the arrangement for the delivery of the post Olympics legacy development on the remainder of the site. Further, we have recently been appointed by Transport for London in connection with the arrangement with Network Rail for the delivery of the new North London Rail Infrastructure Project. This will provide new railway access to the site to help achieve the Olympic Delivery Authority’s goal of delivering sustainable infrastructure for the benefit of the Olympics and beyond.