APPENDIX 8
Memorandum submitted by Mr Max Caller,
Chief Executive of the London Borough of Hackney
10. Thank you for inviting me here to give evidence
on behalf of the London Borough of Hackney. The prospect of a
bid for a UK Olympics based in East London raises a number of
issues for Hackney. Largely these centre on community benefits
and disbenefits and the impact on our local economy.
11. While we hope such a venture could benefit the
UK as a whole and leave a lasting legacy of regeneration for East
London, we believe that these benefits can only be realised locally
if the Government's decision to host the 2012 Olympics is swiftly
followed by a schedule of regeneration, transport and infrastructure
schemes drawn up with stakeholders. These schemes need to include
the delivery of an underground Crossrail 2. Additionally if the
bid is to be made then there should be no room for important initiatives
being abandoned or further delayed should the bid not be successful.
This should reduce the potential for planning blight to hit the
east of London whilst the bid is being considered.
12. We are aware that other areas, from Barcelona
to Sydney, that have successfully bid to host the Olympics, have
benefited from significant new infrastructure not just in the
field of sports but also in terms of transport, housing, and new
public services. Urban design standards have also tended to be
higher in larger coordinated developments than in more piecemeal
development and there have also been economic benefits, especially
in relation to inward investment.
13. The East of London as part of the Thames Gateway
area has been identified by Government as a region of the country
that can help sustain the national economy and through the development
of brownfield sites, provide more housing and jobs and contribute
to an urban renaissance. The development of sites such as the
Stratford rail lands are already beginning to work towards this
agenda and proper preparation for the Olympics can go a great
way further in assisting to deliver this. By creating the infrastructure
necessary for the Olympics we can at the same time create the
infrastructure needed to grow east London.
14. We are however also concerned that proposals
could potentially have a negative impact and create planning blight
for Hackney if not addressed with imagination and early infrastructure
wins.
15. The issues for Hackney centre primarily on transport
and economy as well as those of sport and leisure. The major direct
impact for us is for the area called Hackney Wick where there
are considerations to place sporting events and athletes housing
and I will explain the key issues here.
16. As I am sure you are all aware, the London Borough
of Hackney like our neighbours Newham and Tower Hamlets is one
of the poorest areas in the UK and has many deep rooted problems.
17. However there are some issues for Hackney that
set us apart from our neighbours. Given that we are an inner London
Borough next to the City, our unemployment rate, the highest in
London, is staggeringly high at nine per cent (UK level is 3.2
per cent) and our only large employers are public sector agencies.
Our economy is mainly made up of micro businesses that currently
have few opportunities to expand to become small to medium enterprises
within the borough. Given our proximity to central London it is
perhaps surprising that Hackney does not have any direct links
to the London Underground. We believe that these two issues are
linked and that both can be assisted by thorough physical preparation
for Olympic bidding.
18. We see transport infrastructure as crucial both
to a successful bid and to negate detrimental impacts for Hackney.
While we are not the only inner London borough to not have a tube
station, we are the only one on the north bank of the Thames and
we are surrounded by boroughs with tube stations. This makes us
appear to have poor public transport links and has a detrimental
effect on the borough and its regeneration potential. In terms
of attracting and growing local business, transport links is one
of the key factors that deter business from moving into the borough.
19. The East London Line extension is set to put
us on the tube map with connections to South London and Finsbury
Park. This will however only affect a small section of the borough
and we believe that an underground Crossrail, linking the centre
of the borough to both central London and Stratford is necessary
to include in Olympic preparations to both benefit local people
and improve access to the sports facilities.
20. Therefore while it is true that with International
Rail connections to Stratford there are good connections for international
visitors, if London as a whole is to benefit economically from
hosting the Olympics it is essential that good public transport
links are established from Hackney Wick through Hackney Central
to the West End. It is this, above all else, which would lead
to a lasting regenerative legacy for Hackney.
21. Research carried out locally has shown us that
there are a number of people who will not travel far to access
work, so our strategy besides training people for jobs elsewhere
is to retain and where possible expand the number of jobs available
locally. Hackney Wick is our major if not only significant area
zoned for industrial activity where we have a realistic opportunity
to grow the number of jobs available locally.
Consequently it is important for us to:
- Have good transport links to new potential jobs,
including those in construction;
- Have early sight of the job types so we can train
local people for them;
- Retain business and industrial uses on the Hackney
Wick site (even if temporarily used for other purposes).
22. Hackney and the east end in general is an area
of great cultural diversity and can use this diversity to make
athletes and visitors from around the globe feel welcome.
23. The local provision of facilities to an international
standard, would encourage greater participation in the various
sports and create many sports related jobs. It can also be marketed
to promote health living and be a valuable resource to encourage
young people away from crime and into sport. However some new
facilities may need to be developed on greenfield or public sites
and could encounter local opposition if issues around community
benefits, accessibility, affordability, compensation and who pays
for upkeep after the event are not factored in from the beginning.
14 January 2003
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