He is urging caution over Londoners being catapulted into supporting the games that might make a negative impact on the city.
Noel said, “Londoners have been promised that these Olympics will improve our transport, create facilities of use to local people and be the most sustainable bid ever. We will be ensuring that these promises are not just hot air.
The Games will be hugely expensive and the leader must ensure the Olympics deliver value for money – no easy task.”
The Green Party Group want guarantees that:
· London’s creaky transport system will be improved to cope with the 150,000 extra people travelling to East London.
· boroughs will not be left paying for the wrong facilities that are over-grandiose for the needs of local people.
· there is no loss of green space because of new developments
· financial costs will be kept low and under control
· the Olympic company will make information available to the public.
Noel added, “People are confused about what is to be built where and how much it will cost them. Too many high profile events suffer from spiralling costs – Wembley and the Dome are just two recent examples. The hardest job will be making sure that estimates for new facilities are believable and are kept to.”
The Greens’ biggest concern about the bid is over transport implications. There will be a 15% increase in current transport demand in the area, on top of already expected increases.
Noel stated, “London’s transport system clearly cannot cope with current nor expected demand from Londoners. How will it possibly cope with the addition of 150,000 spectators a day? This is before even considering the 30,000 athletes, associated staff and journalists.”
“I know that many people support the bid as a means to getting new transport infrastructure in place. Yet it is a very expensive and inefficient way of doing so. Do we really want to rely on transport designed around needs for a temporary event?”
ENDS
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Noel Lynch is a member of the London Assembly Culture, Sport and Tourism Committee which has investigated the proposals for the Olympic bid.