Thursday 6 November 2008

Dear Jacques Rogge


(Open letter to Mr Jacques Rogge - President. International Olympic Committee)



Dear Jacques Rogge

Hi – you probably haven’t heard of us - but we are the residents of Leabank Square in Hackney Wick – right opposite your Olympic 2012 site.

I wonder if we may trouble you for a couple of minutes. To make this all the more enjoyable – we are writing this while drinking a delicious cup of coffee. Could we suggest you make yourself one as well – and we could pretend that we’re just two friendly neighbours, having a chat over a cuppa.

(Ready? Take a sip – mmmmmmmmmmmm – good isn’t it? Right let’s chat!)



You see Mr Rogge – we are the closest residential neighbours you have to the construction site – and we are very keen to stay enthusiastic about the upcoming Olympic Games.

We have written on these matters before – and to be fair – a few junior managers from the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and (our local borough) Hackney Council have been to visit us – and promised us action – but I’m afraid things have only got far worse – which is why we are writing to you.

Leabank Square borders on the Lea River Canal – which in turn borders on the Olympic site. It is one of the only 3 residential estates which are neighbours to the site. The other 2 are also our neighbours – and are due to write separately to you on these matters as well.


(MMMMM – ours is Fair Trade Ethiopian – what’s yours?)


Right! Now - there are 3 main reasons we are troubling you today Mr Rogge:

First: The Noise.

Our Problem: The works on the site start up at 7.00am and finish at 8.00pm each day – from Monday to Friday (until 2.00pm on Saturdays & most Sundays). It is true that we have negotiated this 8.00pm stop – from a previous 10.00pm stop – but we still feel that 13 hours of very heavy industrial noise is far too unacceptable to us.

Here in the UK it is illegal for workers to work that long in any one day (which is why we hope your crews are doing shift work) – so we think it only fair that neighbours are also not subjected to heavy industrial noise for that long.

The ODA set up a noise monitor in our Square, and think that this is the only reasonable answer to the problem. The real problem for us Mr Rogge – is that – what are considered acceptable levels of noise for the ODA on the site – are completely unreasonable for residents who have their bed & living room windows only a few metres from the site.

Unfortunately – Hackney Council have given them permission to work at these levels – without even consulting us – indeed – saying that it was unnecessary to consult us. The environmental health team of Hackney Council promised to set up an independent noise monitor in our Square – but unfortunately - forgot to do it.

Unfortunately we had to resort to Britain’s Freedom of Information Act in order to get the data from your monitors – which are being legally scrutinised as I write.

Our Solution: We would like the works to only start up at a reasonable 8.00am – and to finish at a reasonable 6.00pm. We would like the acceptable noise levels to be brought into line with standard noise levels for a residential estate.


(We’re all taking another collective sip just now – please – join us!)



Second: The dust. (Don’t worry – there’s only one more!)

Our Problem: The levels of dust pollution are way far too unacceptable for a residential estate. BY A LONG WAY!! We now have a recorded increase in asthma and hay fever attacks since your construction work has started.

Again – the ODA feel that by setting up a dust monitor in our Square – that has solved the problem. Again – Mr Rogge - they visited us with flowing graphs & charts showing dust directions, promised dust suppression, photos of sexy bowsers, etc – but the levels are still completely unacceptable for a residential estate.

Again – Hackney Council have given the green light for the levels of dust coming over from the Olympic site – without consulting its residents & tax payers. The promised dust particle monitors they agreed to install – never materialised.

The residents themselves stuck two separate video cameras in two separate blocks to record the dust suppression the ODA promised us they were doing –and on an ongoing weekly basis – we have yet to see any evidence of such machinery or activities.

Again – we had to resort to the Freedom of Information Act – in order to get your British colleagues to release the data from your monitor – not very impressive Community Liaising is it?

Our Solution: Simply - deliver on the promised dust suppression no matter how much it is going to cost.

There must be non-stop spraying of any sand mounds, dust roads & construction.

And a GIANT plea for your Community Liaison team to either stop lying directly to us – or to get the construction companies to stop lying to them (& thus passing it on to us) – we are your neighbours – Mr Rogge – not some irrelevant local yobs - who will go away because the Suits have told us they have solved our problems.


(Whew – after that – we all deserve a chocolate biscuit with our next mouthful of coffee! This is such fun – isn’t it Mr Rogge? Just two neighbours getting to know each other a bit better – enjoying a relaxing chat over a mug of steaming coffee?!)


Lastly: The Legacy:

Our Problem: The whole London 2012 pitch was sold to your International Olympic Committee - and the rest of the world – on the basis of a long lasting Legacy for us here in Hackney Wick & surrounding neighbourhoods.

Some of us actually believed them so much - that we convinced sceptical neighbours of the benefits to come.

The London 2012 Legacy Paper is only due to come out in Spring 2009 – but yet the ODA sees fit to drip feed the British media stories of a diminishing Legacy each week. The cumulative result of this – is a very disappointed local population being readied for a zero Legacy – probably (& conveniently) on the grounds of the current credit crunch.

Our Solution: The ODA (& the London Development Agency & Boris Johnson & everyone else who promised you they would do this) need to actually start doing some very hard work in getting a very real Legacy for the very people who are being severely inconvenienced by the delivering of the games.

The odd glitzy road show or slick local presentation - is simply not fooling us any more. We want to know just what job opportunities are going to be created by which buildings left over from the games. We want to know exactly what leisure opportunities are going to be used by the local population once the games have finished. We want to know what local green areas are being created to replace Arena Fields (our local playing fields that took an Act of British Parliament for the ODA to legally take away from us) for us to enjoy after the games.

A few pathetic rose bushes & one large rock in the middle of an existing local green space – are not a real compensation for losing a massive local park – I’m sure you’d agree Mr Rogge?

We want to be told exactly how all this upheaval is going to benefit the people living through all this dust, noise, traffic congestion, etc.

We ABSOLUTELY DO NOT want another of your junior managers to have tea & biscuits in our lounge with charts, graphs, photos, etc spread out before them – actually lying to our faces with false promises and an empty Legacy chest.

We want to know that all this is worth it!



(Like us – We’re sure you’re down to your last few mouthfuls – so please make it last a tiny bit longer)



Mr Rogge – just in case you’re tempted to ignore or fob this letter off like your British colleagues - please let us assure you that we’re nice kinda people. There are some (not overtly nice kinda) people who are bemusedly watching us writing to you - not believing that you too, Mr Rogge, are a nice kinda guy.

We are trying our best to stave off their real and massive civil disobedience demonstration – that will severely set construction back a few years.

But what should be even more troubling for you Mr Rogge – is the perceived reputation that the Chinese Olympic Delivery Authority had in dealing with their local residents - will seem very reasonable – compared to how the London ODA is handling us.

Mr Rogge – when next you are in London – please do us the proud honour of popping around for a real cuppa. There is nothing like actually witnessing for yourself - the upheaval we are going through – and are due to go through for many years to come.

There is a great brand of biscuits here in the UK called Hobnobs, Mr Rogge – we would even break out a packet of them in your honour – should you take up our genuine offer.

(There…….. that was a great way to spend a few minutes – don’t you think? Let’s do it again sometime?)

Oh – we almost forgot – we have a Leabank Square community blog at:
http://leabanksquare.blogspot.com/ - but – to get a flavour of what the residents have been saying about the noise, dust & legacy lately – go to http://leabanksquare.blogspot.com/2008/10/olympic-noise-dust.html

That’s all – we think – yes! Everyone is due to get another mug of this delicious coffee – so if you’ll excuse us for now Mr Rogge……….


134 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

I still think its a fantastic letter! See what can happen if 11 people put their heads together?!

I think everyone else agreed on it partly because they didn't have to write it!! But there were some cracking suggestions afterwards huh?!

Save them for the next letter!!

This is just the begining......

Pete

Anonymous said...

Sóna

Sorry I had to leave before the final draft, but it's excellent, please thank everyone else!!

It concisely encapsulates our 3 problems, and provides them with 3 practical solutions, and stresses that we cannot 'liaise' with the same office - who have lied to us constantly.

I can't wait to see his face when the whole group delivers his letter personally. Talk about bringing noise & dust to his own doorstep!!!!

Dontcha just love this interweb political pressure group thingie?!

Anyhow - we have so far recieved 43 calls and it's not even noon!! Not bad going huh?!

Dirk

Anonymous said...

Hi

I wanted to make you aware that the surrounding roads to Hackney Wick and around the Entire Olympic site, are all covered in a slick of oil/dirt/debris/dust and causes vehicles to slide and slip all over the road. This has happened before in our area, caused by the cement/skip lorries at McGrath scattering debris as they drive along. Their solution was to have a road sweeper lorry drive up and down the same road constantly throughout the day. This still happens and keeps the level of dust/dirt and debris to a minimum. So if they can do it why can't the ODA get a few lorries to drive around the external perimeter of the Olympic site and do the same??? I feel the slippery road surfaces due to the Olympic vehicles depositing debris is bound to cause an accident and that would be unavoidable if the ODA take action now!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Sóna

Brilliant letter!! Thanks for sending the final one out to all of us first!! I'm sure you can hear the noise from the West End today!!

Its as if they are so pee'ed off by this new letter, that they've decided to turn the volume up to 11!!

I'm getting out of the square for the rest of the day, and marking my students papers in an internet cafe instead!! Shockingly incredible noise!!!!

I might not make it back in time for the beginning bits of tonights meeting, but put me down for a 'no' vote on the dog issue.

Sorry - I've got to get out RIGHT now - it's just TOO bad at the moment.

Su

Anonymous said...

Sóna

One of our best yet, I agree!! If it were up to me, we should still have warned them about all the activities yet to come, just to give them a bit of preparation time, but we still got our points across succinctly.

The sooner they sack the so-called liaison bunch they're wasting money on, and join our own liaison group, on our own terms, the better FOR THEM.

I forgot, are we inviting Hackney to join as well, or are they still seen as an irrelevancy?

Sóna, the only residents I have not heard from are two flats in the front block, but we think the're on holiday anyway. Other than them - there is 100% agreement to carry on.

See you tonight.
Jim

Anonymous said...

Hi all

Does anyone else think paragraph 6 in tommorrow's new email is a bit tame?

Shouldn't we sound a bit more angry? I mean we ARE angry, so wht don't we SHOW it to this particular recipient? They need to FEEL our resentment & desperation more - in order to fully understand the repercussions to come!!

Can we tweak it a bit? I'l draft an ammendment & send it round again OK?

Ms Purple

Anonymous said...

Have you all seen the Code of Construction Practice from the planning application?

http://planning.london2012.com/upload/publicaccessODAlive/07-04-26%20Vol%208%20Env_Statement%20Annexure_CoCP%20(1917).pdf

Anonymous said...

Well done, Sona. Mr Rogge's plate is exactly the right place for this issue to end up.

It's up to him to show that the Olympics is something more than the exercise in malevolent self-promotion that it's been for the last forty years, from Mexico City through to Beijing.

Fine words butter no parsnips. By now we know exactly what IOC professions of respect for human rights means as far as the reality of the Olympic Games is concerned.

What you're having to endure at Leabank Square is fortunately on a smaller scale than the destruction of the Beijing neighbourhood communities but it's symptomatic of the same basic problem.

Mr Rogge has a very narrow window of opportunity in which to show that there really is an Olympic ideal, rather than just an Olympic brand. If he doesn't rescue the Olympics, the world is soon going to start looking for another Theodosius.

Theodosius was the Roman Emperor who decided in 394 AD that the only way the corrupt Olympic Games of the day could be reformed was by banning them for ever.

Mr Rogge is probably aware that it took fifteen centuries to forget the memory of those Olympics before Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympics for the modern era.

Mr Rogge's record to date doesn't suggest much of a real commitment to de Coubertin's ideals. He needs to decide pretty quickly where he stands. Does he really believe in protecting ordinary people from the nightmare that the Olympic Games process has become or is he simply content to let it continue its slide into a four-yearly expression of contempt for the powerless.

Best wishes and sympathy to all of you in Leabank Square.

Leabank Square said...

Hi Owen

WOW!! Forget Google!! You are the true font of all knowledge. How do you know about all these old Romans?!

We think you & Stephen Fry should have a 1:1 go on QI!!

Thanks for this blog comment - it has really sent some of the residents into quiet corners to search for more historical information with added enthusiasm!!

Thanks again!

peace
Sóna

Anonymous said...

Hello Sona

Must be honest - I'd forgotten about Theodosius when I went and search-engined on: Corrupt+Olympics+Samaranch [Samaranch was Rogge's notorious predecessor], in order to check back on some past IOC misadventures (nb as far as I know avoiding search-engines that have collaborated with the Chinese govt.)

If you have an LBS resident fluent in Mandarin, you can visit Zeng Jin Yan's blog at zengjinyan.spaces.live.com/

Zeng Jin Yan is the wife of Hu Jia, whom the Chinese locked up as part of the campaign to stifle the dissidents before the Beijing Games. Mr Rogge and the IOC just sat on their hands and let the dissidents go to jail in spite of China having won the games in return for a promise of respect for human rights.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/29/asia/29dissident.php

So be warned, watch your back if you offend Sebastian Coe and get Nadira ready to do her own blog!

Anonymous said...

**Not for publication**

Sona, bearing in mind my own experience of the Docklands construction dust etc. I started wondering about these soil-washing machines. I found a picture of them at http://www.gamesmonitor.org.uk/node/704
which is a view (and a blogsite) I guess you're familiar with.

I started to wonder how closed a system this is. If the soil is contaminated, any dust escaping from the system upstream of washing is going to be contaminated. Also any venting of vapour during the process is likely to return volatile contaminants to the environment and any washwater outflow that isn't securely directed into a reservoir for removal is likely to be redistributed as well. I trust these machines aren't located near the canal in order to facilitate disposal of the wastewater.

And once the soil is "decontaminated", what check is there to ensure the effectiveness of decontamination? Most rough and ready mechanical processes are liable to the occasional failure or inadequate processing.

I found another picture of the system which appears to indicate that there isn't any guard against wind removal of soil prior to or during feeding into the machine.

http://www.london2012.com/blog/2008/07/24/soil-washing-on-the-olympic-park.php#skipAnchor

Given the nature of the possible contaminants detailed at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/07/18/newham_contamination_video_feature.shtml
that's a possible cause for concern.

It might be worth checking with Angela Saini to see what the outcome of her investigation of the contaminants was.

Whatever you do, never assume that any scientific "evidence" means anything unless you know it comes from a source whose conscientiousness you can trust. I guess you've seen what GamesMonitor's author has said about HEH's noise testing. I was taken aback when I discovered the ludicrous assumptions of wind speed and direction when I investigated LDDC's proposals for the siting of the fume extractor from the Limehouse Link tunnel as part of my objection.

We tend to assume that scientists (a) are honest (b) are working on something they actually know about and (c) are conducting investigations and analyses in an appropriate and competent manner. None of these assumptions is necessarily true.

I've marked this not for publication because obviously unless you're able to get details about the specific contaminants and the risk of their landing up in Leabank Square or the canal you don't want to cause anyone unnecessary anxiety.

Have you contacted Friends of the Earth or anyone similar for expert advice?

Anonymous said...

Hello Sóna

Are they deliberately trying to anger us?!

While I was trying to pay my respects to fellow fallen comrades, when all of Leabank Square was silent at 11 o'clock.....

What do I have to listen to by trucks, diggers and some pnuematic drilling from the Olympic Park!!!

This is the MOST disrepctful outrage they have yet done!! I thought we had reminded them LAST YEAR!?

Dispicable idiots!!

Jim

Anonymous said...

Hi all

Keep the emails rolling people, the less we caht about it all publicly - the more of a shock factor we gain.

As far as the media go, please ask them to stick to the embargo date at each interview. This also adds to the impact.

Keep it up

Mr Black

Anonymous said...

To show how seriously the ODA are taking complaints about noise & dust they have launched a POSTER CAMPAIGN
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3018/2929380010_1f34b98326.jpg

Clearly there's nothing they won't turn to PR advantage. The posters are an opportunity for them to plaster the environment with yet more London 2012 logos, spend more money, and make it appear that it's all the fault of those naughty inconsiderate workers.

Anonymous said...

Hi Charlie

Thanks!! WOW!! It's actually quite sickening!! I really hope the baby has some serious words with its mother when it grows up!

So are us neighbouring residents really meant to believe that all the workers are going to use their machines in a less noisy & dusty way?

Hey!! Mr Rogge!! Cut the noise LEVELS and HOURS and SPRAY YOUR DUST!!

Mary

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

When are the gormless overpaid twits from the 'Liaison' unit coming knocking?

Please make sure they come to the three blocks on the canal - I know everyone else is also concerned, but WE are the ones bearing the full brunt of the noise and dust!!

I'm looking forward to having a 'liaise' with them on the doorstep!

Any news on when they're coming?

Su

Anonymous said...

Hiya,


One again I love, love, LOVE this letter so well done to everyone and thanks for all your efforts!

As I said in my email, we need something in place like the McGrath yard around the corner (that has been dealing with rubber, sand, gravel etc) who have always been on top of all their dust levels.
Any time ive gone past there they always have hoses spraying the mounds and even have guys driving trucks up and down the road spraying it so there isnt any extra dust there too.

I really hope we can get something done soon and stop being ignored. At our end of the square the noise can be heard but the dirt is what is really annoying is having to sweep the house 5 times a day and wash the windows weekly!

Lucy

Anonymous said...

The Mayor would like to thank you for your interest in his work and he is keen to answer your query as fully as possible.

As you will appreciate, he has received a very large amount of correspondence from Londoners since the election and it is proving quite challenging to respond as quickly as we would like.

However, the Mayor is committed to responding to all appropriate correspondence and everything is being done to reply to your query as quickly as possible.

Anonymous said...

Merci de votre message. Cette messagerie est exclusivement réservée aux médias.
Si vous êtes un média, votre demande est en cours et nous reviendrons vers vous dès que possible.

Si vous n'êtes pas un média, cliquez ici: http://www.olympic.org/fr/utilities/faq_selection_new_fr.asp

Sincères salutations,

Comité International Olympique, équipe relations médias

Anonymous said...

Thank you for contacting Tessa Jowell MP by email.

Your email will be dealt with in the same way as other incoming communications.

Correspondence is prioritised according to urgency.

Anonymous said...

All correspondence that I receive, whether by mail, e-mail or fax, is
prioritised, usually in date order, and treated with equal
importance, so as not to discriminate against constituents who do not
have access to email or a fax machine.

Therefore, please do not be disappointed or offended if you do not
receive an immediate reply. You will receive a reply in due course.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your message, I will be back at the GLA on Monday 10th
November 2008

In my absence please contact my PA: Maoliosa Smyth 0207 983 4955

Cllr Victoria Borwick
Londonwide Assembly Member
City Hall,
The Queen's Walk
London SE1 2AA

thank you
Victoria Borwick

Anonymous said...

I am most grateful for your message, with which I have great sympathy.

You are just outside of my constituency and Jennette Arnold is your assembly Member but I would be grateful if you would keep me informed and I am happy to support Jennette's efforts on your behalf.

Some of my constituents are experiencing nuisance although none are as close to the 'action' as you are.

Anonymous said...

Gosh, I do feel sorry for you. Have you had a response?

Bryony

Anonymous said...

I don't read french so well, but the impression I get from the IOC's (auto-)reply is that the Olymics is only for the Media. If you're not Media, just ordinary citizens, then you probably don't count?

It's a bit off your patch, but this
OpenDalston event might appeal to some of you folks.

Anonymous said...

I think you'll find I mentioned McGrath some time back, and also to "James" you pay your respects @ 11am on 11th of November

Anonymous said...

I think you'll find I mentioned McGrath some time back, and also to "James" you pay your respects @ 11am on 11th of November

Anonymous said...

Hi Anonymous

Of course!! How silly of us?! Of course we remember you mentioning McGrath way back then!!

The only reason we tried to have a respectful few moments ON REMEBERANCE SUNDAY was because we all stood around the radio listening to the service from the Cenotaph.

And do you think we could hear it?!

No chance!! I wonder if we are going to get a 2 minute silence tomorrow along the riverbank?

Jim

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

I've only just seen the interview you all did on the riverbank.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7675496.stm)
Lets hope this is the first of many many more - until the ODA comes around to OUR way of thinking!!

I still find in incredulous that they still haven't bothered to find out what WE think of all their inconsiderate ASBO-type un-neighbourliness.

Jake

Anonymous said...

Everyone

Nice!! Please keep all the correspondence coming by the emails. I understand that we are getting many coming through, but at this crucial stage, it's vital that we don't let any cats out of any bags.

Thanks again.

Mr Black

Anonymous said...

Hello Sóna

How does the ODA get away with drip feeding the standard from an emptying bottle of legacy?

It seems every day I read about ANOTHER bit of Hackney Wicks legacy being whittled away. Pretty soon there will be absolutely nothing left for us to look forward to besides a few weeks of noisy, hectic and fervent activity a few feet away from our windows.

Whoop-di-doo!!

Matt

Anonymous said...

Hey Sóna

I know it's a pain - but can someone please explain some of the language on the surveyors report for the rest of us?

I know that I have spoken English all my life, but this is Shakespeare man!

Ms Scarlet, please could you translate?!

Ms Purple

Hugh Lugg - Celebrate the Olympics said...

So apparently the plight of Leabank Square residents will be perceived as being worse than what was suffered by people in China who had their homes bulldozed and were forcibly moved.

Really? By who?

And your "massive" campaign, if unleashed, is going to set the construction work back years!

Wow! That's quite a claim. Are you sure about that?

Well, going by the cloyingly self-satisfied tone of the letter, you obviously are.

But all I can say is, good luck in winning the battle - plus hearts and minds - especially if you're starting your campaign at the wrong time of the year, and the rest of London (while sympathetic) is keen for the olympics to happen.

Your leader there is obviously inspired by left-wing politics, which is good, but he seems to be taking his cue from the hapless Arthur Scargill, which is not good.

Hugh Lugg
Chief Secretary
Celebrate the Olympics

Anonymous said...

Hi Hugh

No leader Hugh, just an ordinary residents association who want to have a decent standard of life - and if possible - some kind of legacy for the local residents.

Mary

Anonymous said...

Hello Hugh

Would you like to help out next time my son has another ashtma attack? It's not a pleasant experience I assure you.

We never had these attacks when there was lush green parkland next door. Now that it's a dust-bowl with added ingredients - we are having to move.

Perhaps YOU would like to move in?

Su

Anonymous said...

Sóna

The most crucial thing I would like you to mention on Monday, is the lack of any legacy for us, the neighbours most to lose in the whole olympic story.

To lose Arena Fields was devasting enough, but to lose our whole soul to whatever is going to be built in the media centres place will be worse than that!!

Su

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Thanks for the email. For me it is still the incredible dust and noise!!

We still have another 7 or 8 years left of major construction work, and simply saying that we must continue to remind them when we are inconvenienced is not the correct approach from them.

Please STRESS upon the rest of the board that we have already reaced the limits of dust and noise, they now have to re-look at their construction practices and come up with more neighbour-friendly methods.

Thanks
Pete

Anonymous said...

Have you been in touch with London Hazards Centre?
http://www.lhc.org.uk

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Good luck with putting our case across on Monday. I still maintain that all 3 issues carry equal weight.

The noise is just too much to endure for 13 hours a day at the raised decibel levels.

The air pollution is far too unacceptable for ANY residents to breathe in all day & night.

The lack of ANY legacy - leaves us with years & years of horrendous construction upheaval - all for 28 days of sport our kids be won't be able to afford to go & support.

How long do you have to put our side across?

Matt

Anonymous said...

What the heck is 'Celebrate the Olympics'?
Some kind of lunatic squad of flag wavers? Or maybe it's just Hugh Lugg, 'Chief Secretary'.
Better hope he doesn't team up with the UK Evangelization Trust.

Anonymous said...

Have a look at this document -
Rapid Health Impact Assessment
of the Proposed London Olympic
Games and Their Legacy


Quote from page A5:
Potential social impacts of the Games are less clear, but could include:
• resentment at the local level if not consulted, informed or involved, which
could lead to heightened sensitivity to annoyance and stress from
disruption during construction and hosting of the event


Spot on I would say.

However, Page 96:

Only the construction of the Aquatic Centre and Combined Heat and Power
plant are considered to be of slight significance, resulting in a noise increase of
approximately 0.1 to 2.9 (dB) at the nearest residential properties and
Gainsborough Primary School located to the south of the site(2).
However, mitigation measures at the site boundary are proposed and will
protect both residential amenity and the normal operation of the Primary
School. A strict construction code limiting work between the hours of 08:00-
18:00 on weekdays, and 08:00 to 13:00 on the weekends will further limit
exposure to noise and prevent impacts associated with sleep deprivation.


Oh dear.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Anonymous said...

Hi all

Thanks to gamesmonitor.org we have found out that Leabank Square was sort of conned by the Olympic Community Liaison office.

The data that they gave us is not really proper data - it's a kind of generalist average reading of the data.

Are we all surprised that we are being lied to again?

See the annotation on: http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/noise_pollution_monitor_data_fro#comment-568

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

So now our own 'Olympics Minister' is trying to play down the legacy?!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/nov/13/olympic-2012-jowell

Didn't I say that the credit crunch was going to be used by everyone to justify not leaving us the promised Legacy?!

If I was Jacques Rogge - while there might still be a chance, give the Olympics to Paris! They had all the stadiums already built, they had the Olympic Village set up, and they have the transport already in place. What more can you ask Jacques?

Maybe.......

You can ask more of YOUR current government minister, in YOUR current host current, to not only support YOUR Olympics, but also support YOUR local neighbours?!?

Bill

Anonymous said...

Hi all

Again gamesmonitor.org comes to the rescue!! Their Research Department has found a few more disturbing things for us to think about - most importantly - why our own council is completely ignoring all the Dodgy Data?!

"Assuming the noise data illustrated in the graphs originates from a correctly sited monitor and is measured as specified in Hackney's Prior Consent, it's incomplete - there is no data for Saturday afternoons.
The soil processing has permission for 1300 - 1800 Saturdays and hourly data for this period was a requirement for the consent.

Also note that the prior consent expired on 11th Nov 08 and I understand it's been extended until 19th Dec 08.

It looks as if Hackney's Pollution Team may be turning a blind eye to the conditions of the consent.

Clearly, according to the data graphs the ODA supplied, the 57db limit was being repeatedly breached on weekday evenings.

And presumably they had received complaints from local residents. That they have extended the consent and not told them to move the machinery makes this look suspiciously like a rubber stamping exercise.

Gamesmonitor Research Department"

From: http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/noise_pollution_monitor_data_fro#comment-571

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Didn't someone called Yvonne Something come to your place with a whole bunch of suits promising to install noise & dust particle monitors on your balcony?

Whatever happened about that? Hackney Council is famous for lying short-term and getting found out middle term and getting angry long term (see any googling of Ian Sinclair recently).

Maybe a suit from the council will be at your Monday meeting - please ask them to get this sorted for once and for all. But we must always overlay the Uni's data over both the council's & the olympics data - just to see who lies the most!!

Dirk

Anonymous said...

Hugh Lugg, "Chief Secretary of Celebrate the Olympics" - Mystery Man! Your blog seems to have been swallowed whole by Blogger so there's no obvious sign of who or what your organisation is or does.

I went search-engining for Celebrate the Olympics and Hugh Lugg together and found absolutely no Chief Secretaries anywhere in East London or anywhere further afield.

I looked for Hugh Lugg and found just two identifiable characters by that name, one of them involved in a rather sordid murder in the dinosaur days of South Africa and another a specialist in ophthalmological graphics. Neither of these seemed to have the remotest connection with any form of support for the Olympics.

So I went looking for an organisation with a name remotely resembling Celebrate the Olympics. Lots of exhortations to "Celebrate the Olympics" but no organisations.

So that raises the question - are you for real, Mr Lugg? And who or what is "Celebrate the Olympics"?

Anonymous said...

**Not sure this got through first time - ignore if it's a repeat**


Charles, you quote from the
"Rapid Health Impact Assessment
of the Proposed London Olympic
Games and Their Legacy":

"Potential social impacts of the Games are less clear, but could include:
• resentment at the local level if not consulted, informed or involved, which could lead to heightened sensitivity to annoyance and stress from disruption during construction and hosting of the event"

and you comment "Spot on I would say."

Based on my experience with Docklands Development Corporation and their model of "community relations", representatives of the development agency/authority are limitlessly prepared to acknowledge inadequate consultation on the part of predecessors as they promise a bright new dawn of better communications that they hope will greatly help reduce your annoyance and stress.

I have to confess it's easy to be a sucker and indulge yourself in the hope that things may get better when these nice sincere individuals take on board what you are saying and hold out the promise of having your voice listened to. Sadly, sooner rather than later, the genuinely nice and sincere ones decide they'd rather move on to another job with a more congenial employer.

What you have to remember is that although inadequate consultation, information and involvement may "heighten sensitivity to annoyance and stress" they're essentially irrelevant to the baseline levels of annoyance and stress that the agency/authority/occupying power has decided that you are simply going to have to put up with. Consultation etc. is never going to change that, so don't waste energy getting angry about it getting you nowhere. Certainly make sure the outside world knows that the consultation effort is inadequate but don't expect real improvements and above all don't let yourselves get distracted and delayed by hopes of improvement. Just keep reminding ODA as forcefully as you can that they need to deal with the basic annoyance and stress, the tea and biscuits comes after that.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Owen is quite right. We are at the "as they promise a bright new dawn of better communications that they hope will greatly help reduce your annoyance and stress" stage!

Every time the "community Liaison team" open their mouths - all I hear is "Blah Blah Blah" - with the same "sincere" look in the voice and face. But we ALL know that its blatant lies!

What is the actual POINT of their office? It has only created anger and resentment due to their lies, so what else does it do?

The new team in Switzerland seem a bit more pro-active and get-go. But be wary Leabank Sqaure, they so could turn out to be bred from the same stock as this canary wharf lot!

Mr Orange

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

I can't remember when your meeting is, but if I'm still in time, please mention the fact that it was heart wrenching losing Arena Fields.

Ask them if the credit carries on crunching, if there is any possibility of getting it back. I suspect that once it's been signed off for some kind of developmemnt, that they won't be able to find another Act Of Parliament to return it, but I'd be interrested in their reply anyway.

Thanks
Betty

Anonymous said...

So Many Emails, I nearly missed yours!!

Sóna, you have somehow got to get across the fact that whatever the Mr Angry's at Lord Napier are planning, the vast majority of Leabank Square is trying to do this as peacefully as possible.

Of course we are just as angry, but want to get a peaceful resolution (definetly without the current clowns at the Canary Wharf office). I agree with Mr Orange that the Swiss lot seem genuinly concerned about our plight, but as Owen says, it could so easily be an act as well, and then we are back to square 1.

As far as HC is concerned, there is NO WAY that I trust them at all, and that's why the official ombuddsperson is now involved. We simply cannot waste time with people who lie anymore, look what happened to poor Maria.

So remember, we are nice. The baddies will do what they going to do, but stress that its not us.

Ms Brazil

Anonymous said...

Only 3 words Sóna

Where's my legacy?

Leroy

Anonymous said...

Hello Sóna

Thanks for the reminders. If there is anyone from HC there, please could you ask them about the towpath?

We seriously need some trees planted there NOW!! Beisdes all the dust and noise, it is even more depressing just looking out over the canal at olympic hoardings.

When they chopped ALL our trees down, that made a HUGS negative impact on the Square. Surely HC or BW could get it together to plant some trees on this side of the fence - so that we at least have reasonable sized ones when the fence eventually comes down.

Rosie

Anonymous said...

Hey Dude

For me the main thing is the uncertain legacy. That and the fact that the ODA seems to think it's okay to drip feed the Boris Standard with bubble popping legacy droppings.

They should all just shut up and get working much harder to try and deliver what they promised us and Jacques Rogge. And then tell us all when they have made their minds up.

Russ

Anonymous said...

Hiya

Please let them know all about the incredible noise Sóna. 7.00 am is still far too early for a construction site this close.

This is now - when the real construction is yet to start. What is it going to be like when the actual buildings are being built?

Bev

Anonymous said...

Shona

The main issue for me is that we need a new olympic team who will be COMPLETELY HONEST with us.

There is NO WAY we can have any sort of relationship with a bunch of PR wannabees, who are simply using the olympics as a CV puffer.

I don't mind bad news (we will hear it sooner or later), I DO mind being lied to.

Steve

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the reminder, hope this catches you before you go.

Besides all the same stuff as everyone else, I think you should also put across that REAP was meant to make us feel better about losing Arena Fields, but whether HC messed it up or ODA, we don't know.

Over here in Trowbridge we just don't feel anything has been given in return?

I can't walk my dogs there anymore, and a few bay trees are menat to make me feel better?

mmmmmmmmm

Jack

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna
I hope there's still time to add my additional worry about the legacy.

Remember all the door knocking we did getting LBS to come to the first Olympic meetings? Almost all the promises we made have been broken.

That's why we are having such a rough time with the angry brigade. We peddled the same lies the community team layed on us!

Either tell us there is a zero legacy, or stop leaking bad news to the media.

Thanks Sóna

Louise

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the chat - but lets do it indoors next time mate!!!

In a way it's heartening knowing that the board is as frustrated as us about the legacy. I never asked you how many of them actually live in The Wick.

But its good to know that they have similar worries about Arena Fields as us. Of course they don't haveto hear the noise and breathe in the dust.

Steve

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Thanks for the emails. Like Steve says, its great that we are not the only ones worried about Arena Fields. The legacy for us means more than for ANY of the other host boroughs.

I was also pleased that there still seems to be good work going into getting a long term tenant for the IPC/ Media Centre. That would be the most important bit of our legacy.

Did you see the Evening Johnson gave us a mention today under the heading 'Fears over legacy in the 'forgotten Olympic borough''.

We HAVE to keep up the pressure.

Dirk

Anonymous said...

Hey Sóna

I hope that the Hackney Olympic guy was telling the truth about him not getting the dust data yet as well.

It is so difficuly to know who to believe anymore. We know the Olympic lot are a bunch of liars, but OUR OWN COUNCIL?!?

Good luck with your meeting tomorrow. I sincerely hope you can get some sort of mediation going with the London lot. Me - I'm sticking with the Swiss.

Mary

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the feedback Sóna - we still don't know any better do we?

I mean, we still have the disgusting dust and constant noise, but what for? A few weeks of extreme nationalism from very wealthy athletes.

Then what?

Good luck with Charlie tomorrow, he comes across as very dozy at some of the community meetings - but he's probably thinking something great - hard to tell!

Jack

Anonymous said...

Mary, not everyone in the Council is your friend but nor is everyone your enemy. And the same I found to be true within the same department in Tower Hamlets Environmental Health. Unfortunately in our case the enemies were more powerful than than the friends. It's important to identify who is which.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Ms pink may understand the whole report (comment in noise and dust) but the only bit I got understood was the summary.

And that was more than enough. They have got to stop digging and dropping all that sand outside my windows until they sort out the decontamination. I feel every breath is making me worse.

tell that to the hackney bod tonight.

bev

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

It all sounds fair enough, but it's going to be an explosive meeting. Maybe we sould put it at the end of the agenda.

Most are not going to agree with you, you know that? And why are you so sure that HC is going to support us? I hope you know what you doing?

Anyway, thanks for agreeing to HC Env Health bugging your flat. Mind you don't discuss anything in your living room okay?

Su

Anonymous said...

Bev, try and keep a record on paper of when you think things are particularly bad (same goes for everyone else) - dust, noise, general disruption, the lot.

Late in the day down in Docklands we had a firm of lawyers (Leigh Day) contact us about the possibility of a mass action claim for compensation. Having a good consultable record of what you've had to endure could be very helpful.

In the end I fell outside the group that were in the mass action and I had been moved out before the case was heard in court, so I missed much of what happened but in any case unfortunately it didn't succeed.

Sona, it might be worth contacting Leigh Day to discuss the dust issue action and find out why the Docklands case wasn't successful. Also Sister Christine of SPLASH in Poplar might hopefully be able to give you a picture of what the people in South Poplar did.

One of our problems was that we ended up divided into different interest groups and LDDC were quite happy to deal with one group while ignoring others. Try and stick together even when you disagree very strongly with one another.

Anonymous said...

Uh Oh your playing with fire bruv You know they lie all the time so why waste our time passing their lies on to the rest of us

Wen r they gonna come knocking anyway? I been waiting for some olympic butt to kick but no one comes

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Thanks for the update.

Wow, he promised all that? Let's see if he delivers. I'm still not too sure about getting back in touch with the ODA, we'll discuss this at the weekend.

They better have had a severe honesty awakening for us to start trusting anything that comes out of their mouths again.

The January meeting sounds a bit more up our street though, can you tell me more please.

Steve

Anonymous said...

Hey Dude

I hope you're not getting back into bed with the devil? We know they don't have the capacity of truth-telling, so why even waste your time?

But the January meeting sounds like a better proposition, let's just hope that all the talkers become walkers. Maybe we should form human busses out of the square down to HWCC.

See you Sunday
Matt

Anonymous said...

Sóna

Thanks for the news. I'm not sure this is the right move at the moment. Shouldn't we wait for a few more reports to come back.

Our lawyers should have everything at their fingertips before we startup a dialogue again. Carry on forwarding us the Swiss emails, and we will see if there is more to gain from them. But hold off on the Canary Wharf bunch.

We'll see what everyone else says this weekend.

Mr Darcy

Anonymous said...

Tread carefully Sóna. These bastards have never given us any reason to get on with them AT ALL!

I've just come back from the WV meeting and they're just as angry (and ill) as us. The big difference is that they are not as together as us.

If you do get in touch with them (and it's a BIG if) make sure that any time you even slightly suspect a bullshit coming out of their mouths, jump on it and squash it dead straight away.

We'll chat sometime soon no doubt.

Mr Mars

Anonymous said...

Hi Shona

Dont do it man. Day all nothing but liars.

What day ever done for us cept take away our green. For sure day wud take away our flats if river wasnt der.

Ash

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Thankyou for the email. Just a quick note to say that I think we should chat about this before you call them.

We need to set a few ground rules with them from the start, and I have a few suggestions.

Mr Black

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Talk about asking if we want the good or bad news first?!

I never ever thought I would put Hackney Council in the good news dept. The ODA will always be in the bad news section.

Sóna, I am very apprehensive about talking to a bunch of dishonest business people again. They are the worst kind of liars. Their idea of the truth is to lie about giving you what you want. In the ODA's case, they haven't even bothered to find out what we want, and so are lying about what they're guessing we want.

We WANT double glazing, well before the actual building work starts. We WANT dust supression on an industrial level. We WANT access to contacts within the oficial sponsors so we can start asking them for favours. We WANT trees replanted all along the canal so that we are not just faced with desolate construction views for years to come.

We WANT so much in return for putting up with all this upheaval. Have they asked us? Nada.

Bev

Anonymous said...

Hi Sona et al
According to this article by Rogges the Olympics will make us all healthy and happy so why complain about a bit of noise and dust?

3rd paragraph is choice - surely if there's one event designed to glue people to TV screens it's the Olympics. They're even putting up a giant screen on the site of the demolished Manor Garden Allotments so people can slob out and watch it while consuming their McDonalds & Coke.

"I believe London's Games will leave communities across Britain with a fantastic legacy for a very long time to come."
Yeah, whatever.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/london2012/3491514/2012-Games-can-make-a-massive-difference-to-the-quality-of-life-for-everyone-in-the-UK--Olympics.html

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

What a meeting?!

I did warn you!! Now your work starts mate! Good luck with convincing the rest of LBS that we should re-establish links with those blatant liars across the river.

I look forward to seeing the hordes rushing down to the Community Centre in January! I hope they have a bobby or two on the doors.

Are you still sure this is a good idea?

Mo

Anonymous said...

I hope they let you out of the meeting in one piece Sóna.

I know it's freezing outside tonight, but boy, did it get hot in there?!

Sóna, if one thing was proved tonight, it is that you, and you alone must continue to be the liaison between us and the oda. If anyone else puts their actions where their mouth is, there will be a murder. I have never seen residents so angry!!

Let the door knockers come down here and feel it. Or let the jan meeting come soon. One way or another, there will be some ugly words.

Mary

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

That was a right humdinger wasn't it? Sorry you had to put up with all that abuse, I just hope this Charlie guy appreciates all you had to do in order to get back with the ODA?

Anyway, good luck with the relationship again (!) and at least you can count on SOME of our support.

Julie

Anonymous said...

Hello Sóna

I thought you did really well yesterday, and you have my support.

The only thing that I will say is that you should try and get anything the ODA say in writing from now on. If they say they are using bowsers in Arena Fileds, ask them to put it inwriting. That way we can use the tapes to challenge them in law.

Owen - thanks for the hookup with Leigh Day, we will have a much better chance with them from now on.

Thanks again Sóna.

Ms Pink

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Wow you do move quickly don't you? Meeting yesterday, microphones and dust chimney things sprouting up all over the place!!

Sorry about yesterday Sóna, I got a bit carried away. I'll save the next lot for when they come knocking. I've had a bucket of water right next to the door for years now, when are they coming?

I must just still register my veto on chatting to them again one more time, and I'll feel better. But I was JUST outvoted thanks to your speech, fair dues.

Good luck, seconds out.... round three.

Mr Hairy

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Sorry about all the shouting yesterday, but maybe we got it all out of system now. Lets hope that they treat us with a bit more respect and honesty from now on.

Any news on the Rogge superglue thing?

Mr Blue

Anonymous said...

Sóna

Have you decided when you are hoing to contact the ODA again?

Please culd you give me a call before you do, there are a few things I would like to run by you first.

Thanks
Mr White

Anonymous said...

Hello Sona

I know you love being meat in the sandwich! Seriously it's really important to keep talking to the ODA people however much you know they're lying because it's often the only way you'll get any advance warning of some important developments. Talking to them doesn't have to mean believing them.

And if people believe that Jacques Rogge and the IOC have any concern for human rights just see how the Tibetans are getting shafted now that the Chinese got away with breaking their Olympic promises.

Good luck

Owen

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

I'm glad Owen agrees with some of us. Please don't listen to all the Angry's in Leabank Square too much. We need to know what is coming & going on Arena Fields and we should rather find out from the devils mouth than the Evening Johnson.

Plus I think the Council (in the form of Charlie Foreman) is genuinely on our side at the moment, and we need all the allies we can get.

I'm not sure how we are going to get along when the ODA starts paying the 5 host boroughs Environmental Health teams to monitor the building site. I can see MAJOR conflicts of interest coming.........

Ms Purple

Anonymous said...

Hello Sóna

Maybe your right. Maybe we need to have a chat with the olympic people.

Do you know how horrible a bunch of us feel knowing that the only people that can tell us anything are the very people that lie to us all the time?

Its like when your child is a drug addict. You love them to pieces and want to have a part to play in their future, but they are so addicted that they will do ANYTHING to decieve you.

Maybe that Rogge guy will have a few more answers than this lot over here.

Eileen

Anonymous said...

Ms Purple, I hope you won't mind me adding that while it's important for Sona to keep talking to the ODA it's also important for LBS's Angries to stay angry and keep making the ODA aware how angry they are. They're a good reason why the ODA should want to keep talking to Sona.

You're quite right to identify possible conflicts of interest. I don't know whether you're affected by all the extra two-day commercial concerts in Victoria Park. TH Environmental Health have been shackled because of the financial interest of Entertainment and Leisure. Not only do the Council get a return from driving us round the twist, Entertainment and Laisure are on commission, which doesn't go down too well with other council staff trying to do their job. Even at the best of times not all council staff are doing what they do for the good of the community.

All the same, as I said before, don't assume that everyone in the council has the same attitude, identify your friends and enemies.

Good luck

Owen

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Over at Wick Village its exactly the same. More cases of hayfever (in winter!) and asthma.

Please remember the HWCA AGM on Wednesday 3 December @ 7pm. Maybe we can chat tactics afterwards.

Terry

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Remember, they still haven't released the full Freedom of Information request about the dust monitor data.

I for one won't be too happy you chatting to them until they become A LOT MORE open and honest about their information.

Su

Hugh Lugg - Celebrate the Olympics said...

At first this Sona character acts like Arthur Scargill, then as soon as I point it out, it hits a raw nerve, forcing him to suddenly change tack, and rush into bed with the enemy!

Remember, the compliant UDM, in the end, fared no better than Scargill's NUM.

Who am I, asks Owen. Who is Owen? Who cares? Nothing will change. Just as the mines were always bound to close, your campaign's bound to fail.

Accept it, and "Celebrate the Olympics"!

Hugh Lugg
Chief Secretary
Celebrate the Olympics

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna
Owen is right Ms Purple. We have lost loads of info because we stopped talking. I know we had to stall for time, but the time is right for some form of dialogue.

Remember, we will only ask Sóna to say what we want them to hear. We have to keep a whole lot up our sleeves as well.

Ms Brazil

Anonymous said...

Sóna

I see one of our trolls has returned. With Chief Secretary's like that, we'll win any argument against 'celebrating' the olympics.

Sóna, please also remember to make sure you are still representing the WHOLE Square. We ARE a mixed bag of pro & against's. We ARE being affected by noise or dust. We ARE ative & passive's. We ARE old timers & newbies.

We ARE all residents of Leabank Square. They ARE all our neighbours. They need to start behaving better or we'll apply for an ASBO to be slapped on them.

Sue

Anonymous said...

Hey Dude

I'm afraid I'm not with you on this one dude. Maybe HC - but ODA - no way!!

The IOC is still in town and I say we should still use the superglue to get some honest answers. Nothing like an intimate conversation to bring out the human side of a career beaurocrat.

TaggerX

Wilma Barnes (UK Evangelization Trust) said...

Do not listen to Owen! He is a false prophet: As I've said before, do not trust in Hackney Council. Place your trust in Jesus Christ! Please, before it's too late!

The false god Sona's bad words about our ministry, which reveal the badness in his heart, have cursed your hopes and lives, but not irretrievably. There is still a way out for you all: Start praying to God, and see the plague of locusts, which is currently reigning down upon your heads, reign down instead on the builders and the IOC!

Join us: All it takes is faith!

Anonymous said...

LOL!!

Dontcha just love winding these nutters up? Hugh and Wilma are amongst the saddest people populating our planet. Together they spawned the members of the ODA's Community Liaison Team. And look how the proud parents are fighting their childrens corner!?

Sóna please lead us all into temptation, as far away from this bunch as possible.

Any news of an official reply to our letter yet?

Ms Pink

Anonymous said...

Hey Ms Pink

I love the picture of the 'spawning' of the Red Spectrum's lot. Can't get it out of my head!!

By the way, the rest of us are in under the bridge now. Pretty soon we'll all be in place.

Oh yes, the IP ranges are:

213.52.175.0-255
213.52.167.160-175
213.52.206.160-191

Mr. KRusty

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Thanks for all the emails. Thanks for always interpreting all the legal and building emails after they have been sent as well.

The only thing is the AMOUNT of emails. I know and understand the reason for not posting them up here, but, there are an awful lot of them.

I know we all said that we wanted to be kept in the loop of everything, but there are always about 5 a day.

Can we do something about this please?

Ms Primrose

Anonymous said...

Folk at LBS.
Reading some of these comments and I have to disagree with you. I've lived near Hackney Wick for over 50 years and since the docks closed,the area has turned into the ar**end of London, let down by subsequent Governments and Local Councils. The area of Arena Fields that everyone so fondly talks about was full of flytipping and needles from junkie scum, and then you had the gypos living alongside Temple Mills Lane and the A12.

Now with the Olympics coming, we're getting the improvements that we've been screaming out for. The transport links are improving and being built, the streets are being cleaned and safer, and the contamination left behind from the industry is finally being cleaned up so it's safe for our kids.
Ok, so you've got noise and dust......but in the long run it will be worth it. I can't believe people are moaning about noise in the East End at 7 in the morning. If these people got off their backsides and got a job in the boom that the Olympics is bringing instead of sitting around moaning about it. Embrace change and development. Trevor

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

So Trevor wants you to get up off your behind and start doing a bit of work. There's that corner of the green that's looking a bit manky mate, sort it out sharpish!!

How did the meeting go today? Was everything okay? Will you be sending us an email with the discussion?

Please be careful okay? These people play dirty, and all that we've found out lately is looking VERY shady. And ALL because we are worried about our kids health?!

Su

Anonymous said...

Trevor, sorry to harp on about my similar experience of Docklands redevelopment but I did actually find it quite hard holding down the job I was doing at the time.

I was so exhausted I was making all sorts of mistakes and causing all sorts of problems for other people as a result of the effect of living through the same sort of nightmare as the people at Leabank Square.

I'm sure there are plenty of hard-working people in LBS who are enduring what I did and worse. I'm still grateful that my bosses were understanding and sympathetic and I just hope theirs are. You don't seem to have a clue what's involved.

Anonymous said...

Hi Trevor, Your local hospital rents out many of the flats here in Leabank Square, and while we are not brain surgeons, if you ever happen to have the unfortunate experience of being brought into A&E as an emergency, please hope that we have had enough uninterrupted sleep to give you our most proffesional attention.

Sóna, please re-send me the minutes of the last meeting, it seems AOL thought it was spam?!

Mike

Anonymous said...

is it possible the anonymous (29 November 2008 22:23:00 GMT) remarks
containing racist terms to describe travellers be removed?

Anonymous said...

Great!! Now the ODA have the rascists championning their cause!!

They should right in with all the flag waiving and national anthems being sung across the canal in less than 4 years!

Or maybe its that Hugh and Wilma lot form London Communications Agency again?! They like stirring things up don't they? They haven't even begun to see dirty tricks yet!!

Tagger X

Anonymous said...

Sóna

Who ARE these Red Spectrum/London Communications Agency people snooping around? If the ODA or Morrisons or Nuttal or Carillion or whoever want to know something, why can't they ask us direct?

There is something fishy about all this, if we find something out, we'll be back to you. Jsut be a little bit careful with THIS particular lot will you?

Mr Happy

Anonymous said...

Dear Trevor (or as I suspect.... dear ODA)

I have lived here in The Wick about 10 years longer than you, and always remember Arena Fields as a great place to play when we were kids, and a quiet green place to walk the dogs in later years.

Sure its had rough times, which part of London hasn't? But about 20 years ago, a group of us started doing things about it, planting trees, lobbying hackney Council and the govt to do something about it, etc.

We were finally getting somewhere, when the idea of bidding for the Olympics came up, and then we had to put everything on hold.

If, by calling me a 'gypo' makes you feel somehow superior to me, maybe your shortcomings in life need you to feel that way, but some of us Travellers have done more for The Wick than you will ever want to find out.

The fact that the folk at Leabank Square simply don't want their children to go through what our kids did in Clays Lane, makes them kind and caring people, something I suspect you will never be.

Patsy

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Leave these Red Spectrum/London Communications Agency bodies alone, they're well dodgy.

I came across them before when I lived in Kings Cross. They played dirty tricks with Argent (equivalent of Carillion/Morrisons/Nuttall) in 'interpreting local residents opinions'.

They use VERY underhand ways of getting information on local 'agitators' (that's you!) in order to compromise negotiations. If I was you I would let Mr Black know that they're hanging around.

Mr Yellow

Anonymous said...

Sóna, thanks for the minutes. Sorry again that I couldn't make it, it sounds like it was a bit harrowing. Stick to your guns.

One thought tho.

Because we are not getting ANTHING in return for putting up with years of disruption, please make sure that you do not take any rubbish from them. They have no right to ask us to be nice to them. We are not IN ANY SENSE getting anything out of the Olympics except years of ill health. They owe us big time!! But they will deliver small time.

I know that you are trying to get us all talking to them again, but because we do no have any benefit from that, it's difficult to see why we should.

But, good on you for trying.

See you Saturday
Greg

Anonymous said...

Hey Dude

I think I've found someone?! What about Simon Perry? I hear he's very good. Should we hire him as well?

Maybe he can help 'dig up some dirt' on them for a change?

What do you think?

TaggerX

Leabank Square said...

Well.......

It's been a while yet since we sent this letter off - and unfortunately there has not been any response. So I'm not too sure what has happened - but I've posted another copy of it off to his office - and will let you know what the reply (if any) is.

But - do yourselves a favour & listen to the 2 You & Yours programms from the last couple of weeks - and you glean a bit more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/listenagain/thursday_previous.shtml - but click on the Chris Bradshaw section - not the Olympic one.

and....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/listenagain/friday.shtml


Mr Rogge said - in response to our letter - than he takes our concerns seriously, and will write back once he has spoken to his colleagues here in LOCOG. (still waiting Mr Rogge!)

And that according to a report even before the Olypmics were bid for - there would be no added benefit for hosting the games - but a great party anyway!?

So there you have it folks, we are going through all of the upheaval - so that the rest of London can have a few weeks of fun!

peace
Sóna

Anonymous said...

Sóna

Please tell me these jokers are not going to be at the meeting at the baths in January?!

In a way, I hope they are because then we can go and throw a few of their tables over!!

I cannot believe the arrogance and ignorance of this bunch!! A few buttery emails from Switzerland are nowhere near enough to placate us. This bunch have got to be taught a lesson man.

Bring them on!!

Mr Dizzy

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

I would prefer them to be there actually, cuz then I can take a few rotten tomatoes along to cheer myself up a bit.

Mr Dizzy, remember, we are getting absolutely NOTHING out of the Olympics except loads of dust in our lungs. Whether it's Switzerland or Canary Wharf, none of them give a rats arse about us AT ALL.

We owe them less than zilch, they owe us double glazing, inhalers, ear plugs, thousands of trees and shrubs, and free tickets to every game held!!

Pat

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

What a Blast!!!???

We've all just got back from Stanstead after spending a night at her majesty's pleasure. I must say that I learnt a lot for the olympic ops coming up.

But what complete idots there were there?! If we were anyone else apart from Plane Stupid, we could have done some REAL damage to the runways?!

How can the security have been so bad?! I hope they give us more of a challenge here in Arena Fields though.

Anyhow.... Loads to tell you at the meeting. See you there!

Roald Dahl

Anonymous said...

Hi Roald, Enid & Jaquelin

Well done on your recent excursion. There was loads of coverage, and most of it favourable.

A few disgruntled carbon burners - none of those across the canal of course!

Tell us more about it on Sunday.

Alan

Anonymous said...

Hey Sóna

Apparently these Lausanne idiots wouldn't even let the BBC interview anyone there about the crunching of the London2012 credits!

The journo had to stand outside their HQ doing his piece next to a tiny limp olympic flame!!

What hope is there for our legacy if the top decision makers can't even fess up to the size of the cock-up here in Canary Wharf?

I think you should re-send the letter with a registered courier this time. I'll pay! But if they're not going to talk to the BBC, what chance is there of him answerring our letter?

Mr Duke

Anonymous said...

éita Bra Sóna

Hoegaanit?! Eke het ne terugekom met al die Olympic dingas.

Bliksem Bra!! Jy's goed in die kak!

Vancouver was feel 'sand. Hulle sé dat hierie speeltjies is altyd gedoen. Die piele steek hierie wegbladsye op alietyd.

Hulle maay uid as of hulle mooi 'impartial' is - maar dan kom die tyd dat hulle omdraai - en dan naai hulle jou mooi!

Die Ooom Hugh en Tanie Wilma maak as of dey 'concerned citizens' is - en as dey volgaan - sal dey ommidelik omdraai en skiedelik Canary Wharf's tiettie maats is.

Pasop comrade, hulle spiel nie mooi nie! Ek sal baie meer in die email sé.

Sipho

Anonymous said...

Hello Everyone

Please keep all this subjects correspondence strictly bt email. Sóna, this includes your friends as well please, if they don't have my email, please feel free to send it to them.

Mr Black

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

So - has Mr Rogge lowered himself to our level yet?

Has he bothered to reply to our letter yet?

You would think that if you were a new neighbour, and were going to be for a confirmed number of years, that you would at least acknowledge your neighbours wouldn't you?

Is this the arrogance of the president - or of the whole Olympic movement? Hardly sporting is it?

Meg

Anonymous said...

Hi All

Please keep the emails coming! I cannot stress how important it is that we only discuss Olympic matters by email and at meetings!

If you are a resident - and reading this not knowing what we are talking about - please send an email to leabanksquare@london.com and we will verify your adress and fill you in.

Keep it up folks, the lawyers are very happy with all the info.

Mr Blue

Anonymous said...

Hey Sóna

..... and still they keep on coming!

After Wilma & Hugh & Red Spectrum.... & ...... & ......

Now we have the Americans dealing with the Canadian protesters!! If you thought the poms were stupid, you have got to read the emails from Vancouver!!

So look out for Performance Systems International spooks - plus all the others mentioned in the Spook Update emails!

Ms Blanche

Anonymous said...

It goes like this:

These agencies set up innocuous websites with names like 'Support the Olympics', 'The Olympics - a force for good?', 'What will the Olympics do for us?', etc, etc.

On the face of it - they are made to seem like ordinary joe bloggs - just like you & me. Concerned locals, asking the same questions we are all asking, getting some sort of dialogue going.

As time goes by - and the reality of just how disruptive the construction work is - these concerned 'neighbours' of ours start changing their tunes slightly - almost imperceptively.

They start being very pro all the bullshit the Community Liaison department shoves in our faces at all the roadshows.

They also then start to diss any vocal locals through their sites - hoping to divide & conquer. If you're not for the good the Olympics are going to bring - then you're anti-legacy/progress/local benefits, etc, etc.

Ask youselves this question: If you're a director of a construction comapny that has to deliver XYZ by the Olypmics Opening Ceremony - and a few local residents make enough waves to set the construction back - meaning you get fined millions of pounds - would you not also play dirty tricks?

Of course you would!

You people in Leabank Square should just shut up and accept that the Morrisons, Carrilions, BAM Nuttalls, Igloos, etc are way too powerful for you to oppose! They will only get dirtier & filthier, the more your whinge!

Shut up, suck contaminated dust, get ill and 'Celebtrate the Olympics' when they arrive ON TIME!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sona

OMG, I feel so stupid!! I was so sucked in to the Hugh and Wilma comments, and you guys knew who it was all the time?

I understand why you couldn't tell us all at the time, but I am embarrassed about freaking out at the meeting.

So what about those wierd emails we got from these people? I wonderred why they never replied to our replies. We also found exactly the same 'virus' on our computers after they contacted us.

So now that the police are involved, what do we do when they email us again? I really never EVER thought a simple residential community blog could EVER get these idiots going like that man!!

Anyway, now that they've played their hand, we KNOW that they know. I hope the media give them a really rough time.

At the VERY least they are going to be seen as HUMUNGOUS bullies!!

Dizzee

Anonymous said...

Hello Sóna

Thanks for the emails. Its all starting to make sense now. I also feel a bit silly about taking these olympic people seriously.

But I am still gobsmacked that they've been playing these games!?

How are they going to get out of the hole they've dug themselves in? How much trouble have they made for themselves? Aren't they embarrased?

It doesn't actually matter whether its the construction comapnies or the Olympic Delivery Authority or the IOC or the Community Liaison lot - this is MASSIVE!!

The media is going to go APE with this!! Imagine how the public are going to react when they see this amount of bullying by the Olympics against a tiny residential square?

Well - they've really messed up BIG TIME this time.

Ms Booty

Anonymous said...

Absolutely Incredible!! Has this computer nerd got it right?!

Why wouyld the Olympics put themselves at so much risk? If they really are so worried about how the public (and media) percieve their dealings with locals, why are they doing all this cloak and dagger stuff?

I mean, I hope this guy is wrong, cos I hate having my privacy invaded, but if he is right, they are in so much deep shit, they'll never be able to crawl out.

Sóna,please be very careful with this. The last thing I want is for them to get even more nasty. Some of us have children and granmas.

If we are bullied and intimidated by the olympics even more than all this seems to show, then I'll have to move. I love Leabank Square, but this is serious shit mate.

Craig

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

I also had the same 'virus' on my computer. It must have been in one of the original emails you sent out.

Unless it came from the copies of that Julie King email. Apparently it's possible to sneak it into an ordinary email.

Anyway - they have been reading my emails as well - and my lawyer is very interrested - so please let me know what we are going to do about all this.

I am still amazed that the Olympic Organisation would sink so low. I know someone explained about how much money they play around with, but all we are is a small residential estate worried about our health - not some rival construction company or anarchist group.

They deserve all the doo that's going to fly off the fan.

Ms Black

Leabank Square said...

Hi All

Sorry I've been so slack of late!

This is the busiest time of year for all my Oxfam shops, and then of course we have 3 seperate campaigns going on, Darfur, FDR Congo & now Zimbabwe.

Things should be back on track after the New Year - but in the meantime, please continue sending emails about the Olympic Shenanigans.

peace
Sóna

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

What a shame that these bunch of idiots from the Olympic Community Reltions team have hi-jacked the Hackney Wick meeting on the 22nd January?!

I was looking forward to meeting smaller organisations that actually DO SOMETHING USEFUL for all us here in The Wick.

But instead we will get the usual lies and spin from the same tired old pr wanabees.

Take my advice Hackney Wick, you will get far more use out of these precious few hours by writing a few more letters to the list of decision makers available from leabanksquare@london.com

Shame on you Hackney Council! Shame on you for ignoring the really useful fantastic small organisations we have locally, instaed of trotting out the same old same olds.

Su

Anonymous said...

Sona, in this month of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, can I take this opportunity to remind you, Mr Rogge, the London Communications Agency and anyone else relevant of the content of Article 19 of the Declaration?

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers."

Just to repeat - "... the right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference ..."

Just in case anybody trying to bug, subvert, place computer viruses or otherwise interfere with the expression of Leabank Square's opinion, I'd just like to remind the IOC, LCA, ODA and whoever that the article remains in force until such time as the Universal Declaration is amended or abandoned.

And in case it needs to be made crystal clear, here's final Article, Article 30:

"Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein."

To repeat, "... any activity or ... any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein"

Of course after the Beijing stitch-up we know precisely what Mr Rogge thinks about the Universal Declaration - his customers are still putting people in mental hospitals for trying to complain - but nevertheless it's important to write to him and his allies and associates in order to remind him and them that they are still bound by the provisions of the Universal Declaration and must expect to be held publicly accountable for the respect that they show for the rights enshrined in it, onwards from 2008 through 2009, 2010, 2011 and on till 2012.

As the UN itself reminds us "These are your rights. Familiarize yourself with them. Help to promote and defend them for yourself and for your fellow human beings."

http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Anonymous said...

Hi Owen

Too Right Mate!!

Now - BACK OFF - ODA!!!!

BACK OFF ALL YOU CRONIES OF THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES!!!!!

BACK RIGHT OFF!!

And Hackney Council - please don't claim ignorance either!! You know exactly what the ODA is up to. And you know exactly why they are up to it. So if you do not want to be brought down to your knees as well - BACK OFF AS WELL!

As for you Mr Rogge, we have now emailed, posted and couriered this letter to you, and you have not even had the common decency to reply. The consequences are all your own doing!

You started all this playing with fire......

Anonymous said...

Sóna

Your guy did a sweep here this afternoon, and found the same bugs!!

I am horrified that the Olympics would stoop so low. I keep going over all the private conversations I've had over the past few months and am flabbergasted that they know all this personal stuff.

I don't care about all I've said about them, I'm gonna scream more of it to their ugly faces at the January meeting, but I do care about the chats I had with Mum when Dad was dying, I do care about the cheering up of my kids when they were having a rough time at Uni, etc.

Why should they have access to these private conversations? This is gonna be the end of this evil bunch of bastards!!

Ms Pink

Anonymous said...

Sóna
Still no reply huh?!
Well there's a surprise! It's a pity this guy is not coming down to the communit meeting at the baths in Jan, because it would be great to give him a piece of my mind.

Sill, I hope that georgina woman will be there so she can get it in the neck in his place.

Mike

Anonymous said...

Hey Dude

Any chances that Mr Rogge will give us a Xmas present and reply to our letter?

Fat (cat) chance.

As per past performance, they wait for ever to get back (decommision the soil washing plant in the meantime) and hope that we all forget about it.

What they do not ever take into account is that we are going to live here in Hackney Wick long after the games have finished, and so will NEVER forget how they treated us!!

Dirk

Anonymous said...

Sóna

You know, on days like these, when there is absolutely no construction taking place across the river, it's nearly possible to remember what it was like before the Olympics moved in!?

It's only when you open your curtains and don't see a single tree left where we planted them, and the huge dust bowl behind, that you are shocked back into reality!!

Still, it's blissful not having all that noise across the river for a couple of days!!

I'm not religeous, but I'll be looking forward to Xmas for many years to come from now on!!

Pete

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

It's a pity this rogge guy can't come to the community meeting in Jan, cos it's him that needs to be woken up somewhat!?

I know you're unhappy about the rads taking over the meeting, but they are also Wick Residents, and as such, can do what they want.

But it would be great if this lying pillock could also be included in the impromptu photo shoots the canary wharf bunch are going to be in.

I say forget about him EVER answering us, let's just write to many more people and keep pissing him off.

Jackie

Anonymous said...

Bra Sóna

Dudi Hlapa si 2009!!

Kathlehong affà pil amaOlympics du paslethi offanthendi!!

Lo Giorgia Sharpe mena du Hugh Lugge desiMunthu CIA!! C'Ase du thleni amaRogge computer D'Lani Pezulu makȅshaniI.

Puthlnai amaMI5/6 suthanl'Andi 73 cont'Andla ISP - Keotha du America, Switzerlandi, Belgium, Panama duzi UK.

Duvi se hapla ISP konthandi? Hlapa du IP. Sà MeKontheli du 'virus' - ka si L'àěvuthaledi Policia.

KAné? Dlanedi duOlympics maks'Hane. Thuledi lo 'wavelength' Kà duSecurity Co. Methlàdu si puma 'password' pielě.

Duzi amaSipho ka Lhongitshwa John Armitt dezi'thulisweně. La kotswana di Sŭvana lhakwana? KAné!Thlapa ku North Sea mé Shell/Mobil/BP lho - David Higgins siPuma du Katlhedi.

Sóna - Pa du Liasion ama'Khothi lo sethsédi IP/ISP. Kasaáne. Ma'Thladi ku sestsedi du Hackney Council. Mipielé £Dladi/Mladi amaKatchwe du baksheesh.

Ma!!

Su dudu Ka'Thlehiong Shwéshi lo Beijing. SiLapa téé Themba amaDlezi mò Letsédi MocXha!!

Átlas

Anonymous said...

Sóna

What IS that vibrating noise coming from under Leabank Square?!

It's SUNDAY MORNING MAN!!!!

OK - so it's not loud, but it's enough to have woken us all up from 6am.

Do you know if there's work being planned underneath us? Why will they be doing anything under Leabank?

We didn't call you cos we know you let the kids have a bit of a lie-in on Sundays, but when you see this - please could you give me a tinkle?

Su

Anonymous said...

Su, sympathy's not going to be much use to you, but I feel so angry that twenty years on people are doing to you just the same sort of thing as they did to us. Record the date and time and a description of the noise send it to Hackney Environmental Health with a final paragraph informing them that you're sending a copy to your lawyer.

Sona, make sure you have all the contents of this blog backed up somewhere.

Courage for the new year, don't let them grind you down.

Owen