Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) chair Baroness Ford has expressed hopes that the London 2012 site will provide a 'new piece of city' for the capital.

Speaking at the Business in Sport and Leisure (BISL) conference on 10 November, Ford said the Olympic Park was more than just about sports venues and parkland following the Games. According to Ford, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has the potential to have the same transformational effect on the East End as the 1951 Festival of Britain did on the South Bank.

Ford said: "The Olympic promise is not just about leaving sports venues and some fantastic parkland in legacy. This is about the regeneration of the east end of London." It comes as OPLC CEO Andrew Altman told Sports Management that the Olympic Park will see the creation of "family-focused neighbourhoods" and one of the UK's top visitor destinations.

Altman said: "London is an extraordinary city, so I think the inspiration for the planning of the site is London itself. The park will encompass the best of London in one place. To read more from Andrew Altman, please see Sports Management Q4 2010