London ( CNN ) -- Over two-thirds of Britons believe the Â£9 billion ( $ 13.8 billion ) bill for the London Olympics was worth it , but economists and business leaders argue it could take years to see the economic benefits . According to a poll by research consultancy ComRes , released on the first anniversary of the Games , 69 % of participants said it was a good investment of public money . But only 22 % of the public feel the Games have had a positive impact on the local economy in their area , with 67 % saying the Olympics had no impact at all . Samuel Tombs , an economist at Capital Economics , said there was an obvious boost to UK economic growth during the Games but it was too early to see a legacy benefit . He told CNN : `` I think there are question marks over whether the Â£10 billion of public money spent on the games could have been better used ... for example infrastructure projects such as transport , that could have yielded a higher economic return . '' In the second-quarter of 2013 , the U.K. grew by 0.6 % -- double the rate of expansion for the first three months of the year -- suggesting Europe 's third-largest economy is on track for a recovery . Tombs said the figures also showed growth in all areas of the economy , which he noted was was a first in recent years . The UK contracted for five consecutive quarters from the second quarter of 2008 , and failed to grow for another nine months in late 2011 and early 2012 as the eurozone debt crisis raged . Although the cultural heritage of the Olympics is important , it could take years before we see its true economic value , according to Tombs . He said : `` You often fail to see a boost in tourism for the years after the Games and obviously it 's very hard to reuse the facilities that have been built . '' Director of Economics at PricewaterhouseCoopers , Mark Ambler , said the benefits may not be evident for at least another 10 years . He told CNN : `` On this basis , the evidence I have been involved in generating and that I have seen from others suggests strongly that the UK will get a good return on its investment , although I think important parts of it are still to come . '' Investment boost . On Thursday , Mayor of London Boris Johnson said that the success of the Olympics and Paralympics has spurred investment in the U.K capital . Speaking at a press conference , he said : `` Remember the fate of the Olympo-sceptics is all I would say to anyone tempted to doubt the legacy . '' But according to Matthew Jaffa , spokesman for the Federation of Small Businesses , not enough is being done in the wake of the Olympics to promote `` Brand London '' as an exporter . He added : `` The Games have had more of an impact on London than the rest of the UK . 55 % of the companies that won contracts , directly related to the Olympics , saw growth within the turnover of their business , which is positive . '' Despite skepticism from some quarters of the business community , the ComRes poll -- which surveyed over 3,200 people -- also showed that nearly three-quarters of Britons would welcome the Olympic Games back given the opportunity . Andrew Simms , political economist and and co-author of the book 'London 2012 - How Was it For Us ? ' said the Games were `` a triumph of public endeavour ... it 's a very good example of what a very dynamic and focused public sector can do . ''
ComRes poll : 22 % of the public said the Games have had a positive impact on the local economy . In the second - quarter , the economy grew by 0.6 % , double the rate of expansion for the first three quarters of 2013 . Mayor of London Boris Johnson said that the success of the Olympics and Paralympics has encouraged investment .