Developers Westfield say that the site - the largest shopping centre in Europe - has created 10,000 jobs. Sir Robin Wales expressed his pleasure that more Newham residents were finding work, but emphasised that there was plenty more work ahead.
Sir Robin said: "I was asked what I would rather have - the Olympics or Westfield - and I said Westfield. The Olympics will inspire people, but the bottom line for me is getting our residents into jobs. That's why I support developments like this.
"Westfield have been great and they've worked with us closely so that many of the jobs have gone to Newham residents, many of whom haven't been working for a while."
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| Westfield and the Olympics: combining opportunity and inspiration? |
Crowds rushed to the development in Stratford - situated next to the Olympic Stadium - today as stores celebrated the occasion with giveaways and celebrity autograph sessions. American singer and one-time X-Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger performed in the middle of Westfield at lunchtime, with onlookers including the Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
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| A tight squeeze as crowds flock to Stratford on Westfield's big day |
While Sir Robin is keen to see customers flocking to Westfield to enjoy themselves, he remains firmly focused on the long-term goal of getting as many local residents into work as possible:
"With Westfield and the Olympics we have the perfect combination - it will give jobs, inspiration and opportunity. We've got to make the most of this to get thousands of our fellow citizens into work.
"It's a great start - we've got a lot to do but we've got a lot done already."
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