MAYOR of London Boris Johnson held a meeting in Walthamstow yesterday to answer questions from the public about the 2012 Olympics legacy.
The Mayor arrived at the Assembly Rooms in Forest Road by bicycle and was quickly surrounded by Sir George Monoux College business and politics students and those part of a London Citizens' Olympic Legacy Guardians scheme, keen to shake his hand.
In the packed hall, a panel of 2012 executives, including former athletes Sebastian Coe and Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and chaired by Labour Assembly Member for North East London Jennette Arnold, presented their goals for the Olympics legacy and took questions from the floor.
Sir Sebastian Coe recalled the years he spent training at Haringey Athletics Club and said such clubs provide continuity in the lives of young people in deprived areas.
He said: “Sport is the hidden social worker in our community. The volunteers that commit hundreds of hours a week to the lives of young people, allow them to fashion their lives through sport. It is about sport and driving it higher up the agenda in the next few years.”
A coach at Orion Junior Athletics Club, which uses the Pool and Track in Walthamstow, received a round of applause when she asked: “Given the rumours that this local facility could be could be closed in two years, how does this situation reflect on this legacy?”
Mr Johnson replied that he was “not making any promises” but there is money available at City Hall and they will “do what they can to help”.
Several audience members complained about the transport links from Waltham Forest to Stratford, but were told that there was no budget in the Olympic coffers to revive the Hall Farm Curve rail link and that it was a matter for Transport for London (TfL) to consider.
Cllr Liaquat Ali, cabinet member for children and education, said: “Some of the town centres and neighbourhoods in Leyton and Walthamstow are a poor quality on the streets and the housing. It is not a good advertisement for the Olympics.
“Can the Mayor secure support for funding to deal with these issues? East London needs to be part of the visitors economy.”
Mr Johnson replied that if the councillor had a plan in mind for a “greener spaces” project, then he should make an application for funding because applications are being received by City Hall already.
Mr Johnson likened the Olympics to a “runaway horse” that needs be yassooed to achieve change in east London.
He said: “It was absolutely the right thing to get the Olympics for London because we can use it to drive growth in an economic downturn when there are lots of contracts being made available for London firms.
“It will make London more attractive and liveable in the long term and by 2012 when we are coming out of the recession, London will be leading recovery just as it did in the 1930s.”
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