Time for Londoners to be heard on 2012 stadium

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Londoners seem to have been forgotten in the intense debate about the 2012 Olympic Stadium. And that's not fair.

Lamine Diack, the boss of world athletics who is very critical of Tottenham's plans to scrap the track, won't have to pay extra tax in Monaco if the Olympic Park doesn't work.

The finances of Lord Coe, the chairman of 2012, won't be devastated if the Park is full of white elephants.

The rich football world, including Tottenham and West Ham bosses Daniel Levy and Karren Brady, will carry on making money, whatever happens.

But, make no mistake, the council taxpayers of London will end up paying for decades if the Olympic Park goes wrong.

It's the Mayor Boris Johnson and his about-to-be-formed Development Corporation which will have to find extra cash if the venues don't make enough money. And that is likely to mean cuts to other areas of the Corporation's projects.

So, you may be a Londoner with no interest in sport at all but this decision could affect you. Of course all taxpayers across the UK have paid towards the �500 million stadium but Londoners will pay a lot more - and for a lot longer - if it all goes wrong.

Apart from Lord Coe, who spoke to BBC London about his support for the West Ham plans earlier this month, the rest of the key figures don't seem very interested in talking to Londoners about this. They want the debate to be focused on the sport's world and the national sport's media.

I've asked for interviews with Brady and with Levy and their spindoctors clearly think it's not important to speak directly to London.

We are not going to follow their agenda at BBC London. This week our reports on TV, radio and Online will focus on the people who live, work and pay tax in the capital, regardless of whether they like the Olympics and football or not.

Today, we will report on what the future holds for Leyton Orient if a Premiership club moves into their "manor".

Tonight BBC London 94.9fm will be hosting a phone-in about how all this affects Leyton Orient.

This week we will also report on what the decision means for both Tottenham and West Ham fans. And importantly, we will also report on what will happen to the area around White Hart Lane if Spurs move away.

We have also commissioned the first poll on what Londoners - and not just sports fans - think about the stadium. Later this week, we will publish its findings.

I'm not a Londoner, I wasn't born in London, I didn't grow up there and I don't even pay London council tax. But I believe Londoners must have a big say in all of this - people in Bolton or Liverpool won't be paying for this Park in the future.

And I also think people who have no interest in the Olympics or sport have a right to be heard.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adrianwarner/2011/01/time_for_londoners_to_be_heard.html

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