Olympics news
Phew! There's going to be a Waitrose in Statford City. Sighs of relief from estate agents all round. And a John Lewis too, so all those new residents can stock up on good quality basics for their flats without going to IKEA at Brent Cross. How convenient.
On to more serious news. The ODA has formally assumed its role as planning authority for the Olympic zone. But Newham has won the right to determine the first phase of Stratford City despite it being within the Olympic Park, and is still 'negotiating' with the ODA about the second phase. I saw some drawings the other day of the Park and it seems to have shrunk rather a lot from the glorious panoramas that we saw around the time of the bid.
There's been a huge furore over Eurostar's decision to massivly cut services that stop at Ashford in favour of Ebbsfleet, and also to not stop at Stratford when St Pancras becomes operational next year. I'll go more into detail in another post, but basically everyone's having kittens.
And finally...George Galloway has written to Ruth Kelly about a radioactive dump in West Ham that he's worried about. He reckons the Games may become known as the 'toxic Olympics', which has quite a ring about it but goes against the happy green vibe that the GLA-sponsored Future London exhibition (currently in Galloway's patch on Brick Lane) tries so hard to project. Sadly the exhibition is really terrible to the point of embarrassment - sheepish attendants trying to foist tasters of organic fruit on you and numerous reminders to turn off the taps while you brush your teeth, if you want to save the planet. And the final room is all about the 'green Olympics'. Hmm.
On to more serious news. The ODA has formally assumed its role as planning authority for the Olympic zone. But Newham has won the right to determine the first phase of Stratford City despite it being within the Olympic Park, and is still 'negotiating' with the ODA about the second phase. I saw some drawings the other day of the Park and it seems to have shrunk rather a lot from the glorious panoramas that we saw around the time of the bid.
There's been a huge furore over Eurostar's decision to massivly cut services that stop at Ashford in favour of Ebbsfleet, and also to not stop at Stratford when St Pancras becomes operational next year. I'll go more into detail in another post, but basically everyone's having kittens.
And finally...George Galloway has written to Ruth Kelly about a radioactive dump in West Ham that he's worried about. He reckons the Games may become known as the 'toxic Olympics', which has quite a ring about it but goes against the happy green vibe that the GLA-sponsored Future London exhibition (currently in Galloway's patch on Brick Lane) tries so hard to project. Sadly the exhibition is really terrible to the point of embarrassment - sheepish attendants trying to foist tasters of organic fruit on you and numerous reminders to turn off the taps while you brush your teeth, if you want to save the planet. And the final room is all about the 'green Olympics'. Hmm.
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