The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics have won a legal battle over the land for the proposed Olympics site.
They are now allowed to buy that land, and force some businesses currently occupying the area to vacate their premises.
Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) were confirmed by Industry Secretary Alistair Darling.
Manny Lewis, Chief Executive of the London Development Agency (LDA), said:
"Whilst we have been granted the CPO powers, we will continue to negotiate with landowners in an effort to reach agreements.
We have already managed to secure 93% of the land through negotiation and the LDA is on course to deliver an incredibly complex project on time."
The LDA claim that around 70 businesses may have trouble moving and some jobs may be lost, but the Olympics would lead to an extra 11,000 jobs in the area.
Wednesday, 20 December 2006
Friday, 15 December 2006
New Olympic Domain Names
Two new domain names, that link to this site, have now been purchased:
www.olympicsweblog.com
www.olympicsdiary.com
The other domain names linking to this site, as listed in the menu bar, all remain active.
www.olympicsweblog.com
www.olympicsdiary.com
The other domain names linking to this site, as listed in the menu bar, all remain active.
Thursday, 14 December 2006
The Clean Olympics
Liu Qi, secretary of the Chinese Communist Party's Beijing Municipal Committee, promised a "clean" 2008 Olympics.
This promise comes one day after the party expelled Liu Zhihua, the Beijing vice mayor in charge of Olympic construction projects. He has been accused of bribery and other offences.
Liu Zhihua took bribes of "several million yuan" and "helped his mistress to seek profit in projects".
Liu Qi said:
"We must tighten auditing and monitoring efforts on the preparatory work of the Olympics to prevent all potential problems. Efforts must be made to ensure that staff members involved in the Olympic preparations and venue construction projects remain on track, and make sure the Olympics are clean."
Lucrative projects, such as the Olympics, do seem to bring out the worst in people.
This promise comes one day after the party expelled Liu Zhihua, the Beijing vice mayor in charge of Olympic construction projects. He has been accused of bribery and other offences.
Liu Zhihua took bribes of "several million yuan" and "helped his mistress to seek profit in projects".
Liu Qi said:
"We must tighten auditing and monitoring efforts on the preparatory work of the Olympics to prevent all potential problems. Efforts must be made to ensure that staff members involved in the Olympic preparations and venue construction projects remain on track, and make sure the Olympics are clean."
Lucrative projects, such as the Olympics, do seem to bring out the worst in people.
Tuesday, 12 December 2006
Livingstone Guarantees No Tax Rise
Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, has "guaranteed" that Harrow residents will not pay more tax to fund the 2012 London Olympics.
Speaking on BBC Radio London, Livingstone said:
"I know concerns have been raised recently about increases to council tax to pay for the Olympics, I guarantee to Harrow residents that there will not be a rise.
Last year we set the Olympics council tax precept at 38p for the average London Council Tax Payer. It will remain at 38p next year and the year after and the year after that. When people see that it has not risen from 38p they will accept my firm guarantee that Londoners will not be asked to pay any more to fund the 2012 Games."
Those of you with long memories may recall that Livingstone promised faithfully, when he stood for re-election as Mayor, that he would not raise congestion charges.
Once re-elected, he reneged on that promise and raised congestion charges.
Good luck to the people of Harrow, and London, if they really believe Livingstone's promises!
Speaking on BBC Radio London, Livingstone said:
"I know concerns have been raised recently about increases to council tax to pay for the Olympics, I guarantee to Harrow residents that there will not be a rise.
Last year we set the Olympics council tax precept at 38p for the average London Council Tax Payer. It will remain at 38p next year and the year after and the year after that. When people see that it has not risen from 38p they will accept my firm guarantee that Londoners will not be asked to pay any more to fund the 2012 Games."
Those of you with long memories may recall that Livingstone promised faithfully, when he stood for re-election as Mayor, that he would not raise congestion charges.
Once re-elected, he reneged on that promise and raised congestion charges.
Good luck to the people of Harrow, and London, if they really believe Livingstone's promises!
Friday, 8 December 2006
The True Cost of The Olympics
It is reported that Beijing intends to demolish 22 remaining "urban villages", which are home mainly to poor migrants, as it "cleans up" in readiness for the 2008 Olympic Games.
The villages will be demolished by the end of June 2007.
The destruction of the "urban villages" are part of the greening programme to "create a better environment for the Olympic Games".
Beijing denies that they are trying to force poor migrants out of the city before the Olympics.
Over the past 10 years, as Beijing maked ready to host the 2008 Games, many residents have accused developers of using violence to evict people unwilling to move.
Such is the price people have to pay, if they wish to host the Olympics. Sponsorship and advertising deals come before people's rights and liberties.
The villages will be demolished by the end of June 2007.
The destruction of the "urban villages" are part of the greening programme to "create a better environment for the Olympic Games".
Beijing denies that they are trying to force poor migrants out of the city before the Olympics.
Over the past 10 years, as Beijing maked ready to host the 2008 Games, many residents have accused developers of using violence to evict people unwilling to move.
Such is the price people have to pay, if they wish to host the Olympics. Sponsorship and advertising deals come before people's rights and liberties.
Thursday, 7 December 2006
Barclays Boycotts Olympics
Barclays has withdrawn from sponsoring the 2012 London Olympics. This is rather ironic, as Barclays is housing the Olympic organising committee in its headquarters.
The sponsorship would have contributed to the currently expected costs of £2BN, needed to run the games themselves.
Barclays, which has loaned the organising committee £50M, was expected to have been among the leaders applying for main sponsorship places.
The winning sponsor, from the world of banking (sans Barclays) will be expected to put up £100M.
Had Barclays become a sponsor, it would have had the right to use Olympic rings in advertising, the right to associate itself with the games and personalities involved in them, and the right to advertise its name and logos at Olympic sites.
Despite what Tessa Jowell and the other Olympics organisers might try to claim, this withdrawal is undoubtedly a blow for the already shambolic Olympics.
The sponsorship would have contributed to the currently expected costs of £2BN, needed to run the games themselves.
Barclays, which has loaned the organising committee £50M, was expected to have been among the leaders applying for main sponsorship places.
The winning sponsor, from the world of banking (sans Barclays) will be expected to put up £100M.
Had Barclays become a sponsor, it would have had the right to use Olympic rings in advertising, the right to associate itself with the games and personalities involved in them, and the right to advertise its name and logos at Olympic sites.
Despite what Tessa Jowell and the other Olympics organisers might try to claim, this withdrawal is undoubtedly a blow for the already shambolic Olympics.
Wednesday, 6 December 2006
The Olympics Bill
Approximately 66% of Londoners believe that they will end up footing the bill for the 2012 London Olympics, as costs continue to spiral out of control.
That at least is the finding of a BBC poll, which showed that 65% of those questioned said that they thought that Londoners will end up paying for the additional costs.
The good people of Greece could tell the citizens of London a thing or two about budget overruns. They are expecting to continue to pay for the financial disaster of the 2004 Athens Olympics for many years to come.
That at least is the finding of a BBC poll, which showed that 65% of those questioned said that they thought that Londoners will end up paying for the additional costs.
The good people of Greece could tell the citizens of London a thing or two about budget overruns. They are expecting to continue to pay for the financial disaster of the 2004 Athens Olympics for many years to come.
Sunday, 3 December 2006
Radiation Hazard At Olympic Site
Jack Lemley the ex head of the building programme for the London Olympics, who quit over budget issues, has ridiculed the Government's preparations for the 2012 Games.
Mr Lemley claims that Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and London Mayor Ken Livingstone repeatedly ignored his warnings that the budget for the event was spiralling out of control.
He also claims that his warnings over the chemical contamination of the Olympic sites were dismissed, because "all they wanted to hear was good news".
It is reported that Mr Lemley was forced to resign after he sent Tessa Jowell a letter warning that the construction of the Olympic sites faced such serious delays, that the Games might have to be scaled down.
Mr Lemley claims that:
"It said all the management costs were underestimated dramatically, by several hundred per cent. These numbers have been known for months by everybody and if Tessa Jowell hasn't told the Prime Minister, she wasn't doing her job. It's a swamp. There is misrepresentation of the situation."
On the subject of contamination Mr Lemley was equally outspoken:
"A blind man could see there was a huge environmental problem. I thought it was highly likely they underestimated. I talked to Tessa Jowell's senior people, Jeff Jacobs and his assistant, almost on a daily basis about this."
The question that we should be asking of our "respected" and "competent" government is why did they choose a site contaminated with scrapyards and hazardous waste from factories which produced items such as; soap, matches, ink, dyes, paraffin, rubber, creosote, fertiliser and varnish.
Seemingly there is even a radiation issue, plus a few unexploded bombs!
Quote:
"They now know there are drums of radioactive material buried at the site and they never had that in their estimates.
In the spring, I learned it was highly likely there was unexploded Second World War ordnance in the ground and I said: 'I'm not going to put a pile-driving crew out there with unexploded bombs.' I wanted trenches dug so people could understand what was going to have to be done to clean the ground up and then the contractors could price it."
Mr Lemley found that his views were not welcome:
"At Olympic Board meetings, I was never invited to speak. Tessa attended with Ken Livingstone and Seb Coe and British Olympic Association chairman Colin Moynihan. All they got was good news."
As I keep saying, politicians should never be entrusted with major projects. They are unskilled, inept, incompetent and venal; they are of little use to man nor beast.
On October 9 he sent a letter, repeating his concerns, to Jowell and copied it to Livingstone and Lord Coe.
Jowell refused to discuss its contents, and ordered him to resign.
The public, and the IOC, have been seriously misled by Labour over these increasingly expensive Games. Unfortunately it will be the public who carry the can for them, rather than the politicians who got us into this mess.
Mr Lemley claims that Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and London Mayor Ken Livingstone repeatedly ignored his warnings that the budget for the event was spiralling out of control.
He also claims that his warnings over the chemical contamination of the Olympic sites were dismissed, because "all they wanted to hear was good news".
It is reported that Mr Lemley was forced to resign after he sent Tessa Jowell a letter warning that the construction of the Olympic sites faced such serious delays, that the Games might have to be scaled down.
Mr Lemley claims that:
- He told the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, and Tessa Jowell before he was hired that there was a serious contamination problem at site chosen for the Games.
- His warnings that the budget seriously under-estimated clean-up costs were ignored.
- His agency was pressured to hide huge sums that should have been added to the budget.
- The Government knew back in May that the Olympics faced an extra £1BN VAT bill, but hid the fact from the public.
"It said all the management costs were underestimated dramatically, by several hundred per cent. These numbers have been known for months by everybody and if Tessa Jowell hasn't told the Prime Minister, she wasn't doing her job. It's a swamp. There is misrepresentation of the situation."
On the subject of contamination Mr Lemley was equally outspoken:
"A blind man could see there was a huge environmental problem. I thought it was highly likely they underestimated. I talked to Tessa Jowell's senior people, Jeff Jacobs and his assistant, almost on a daily basis about this."
The question that we should be asking of our "respected" and "competent" government is why did they choose a site contaminated with scrapyards and hazardous waste from factories which produced items such as; soap, matches, ink, dyes, paraffin, rubber, creosote, fertiliser and varnish.
Seemingly there is even a radiation issue, plus a few unexploded bombs!
Quote:
"They now know there are drums of radioactive material buried at the site and they never had that in their estimates.
In the spring, I learned it was highly likely there was unexploded Second World War ordnance in the ground and I said: 'I'm not going to put a pile-driving crew out there with unexploded bombs.' I wanted trenches dug so people could understand what was going to have to be done to clean the ground up and then the contractors could price it."
Mr Lemley found that his views were not welcome:
"At Olympic Board meetings, I was never invited to speak. Tessa attended with Ken Livingstone and Seb Coe and British Olympic Association chairman Colin Moynihan. All they got was good news."
As I keep saying, politicians should never be entrusted with major projects. They are unskilled, inept, incompetent and venal; they are of little use to man nor beast.
On October 9 he sent a letter, repeating his concerns, to Jowell and copied it to Livingstone and Lord Coe.
Jowell refused to discuss its contents, and ordered him to resign.
The public, and the IOC, have been seriously misled by Labour over these increasingly expensive Games. Unfortunately it will be the public who carry the can for them, rather than the politicians who got us into this mess.
Friday, 1 December 2006
China Relaxes Rules
China has announced that it will relax some of its restrictions on foreign reporters. It says that it will allow foreign media greater freedom to travel and report in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The regulations will come into effect on 1 January 2007, and will temporarily abolish requirements that currently prohibit foreign reporters from traveling or conducting interviews without government approval.
The new rules state that only the consent of the interview subject is needed.
Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said:
"It is crystal clear that as long as the interviewee agrees, you can do your reporting."
Melinda Liu, president of the Foreign Correspondents Club of China and Beijing bureau chief for Newsweek, said:
"In general, this is progress in terms of liberalizing the conditions under which foreign journalists work in China."
However, the new Olympic regulations contain loopholes and expire on October 17th 2008.
Liu, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said:
"Foreign journalists will not limit their activities to the Games themselves. They will also cover politics, science, technology and the economy.
The 'related matters' ... actually expands the areas on which foreign journalists can report."
The question is, what will happen after the 17th of October 2008?
The regulations will come into effect on 1 January 2007, and will temporarily abolish requirements that currently prohibit foreign reporters from traveling or conducting interviews without government approval.
The new rules state that only the consent of the interview subject is needed.
Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said:
"It is crystal clear that as long as the interviewee agrees, you can do your reporting."
Melinda Liu, president of the Foreign Correspondents Club of China and Beijing bureau chief for Newsweek, said:
"In general, this is progress in terms of liberalizing the conditions under which foreign journalists work in China."
However, the new Olympic regulations contain loopholes and expire on October 17th 2008.
Liu, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said:
"Foreign journalists will not limit their activities to the Games themselves. They will also cover politics, science, technology and the economy.
The 'related matters' ... actually expands the areas on which foreign journalists can report."
The question is, what will happen after the 17th of October 2008?
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