Saturday 20 March 2010

Hackney Wick Masterplan Community Meeting










A massive thanks to Helen Goodsell of Hackney Council for arranging this great meeting for Hackney Wick. We all got to meet many of the people who can make our lives a lot easier. From the parking department to the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC).

Once again - Rev Alan Piggot from St Mary's in the Eastway - set the meeting into context with a brilliant summary of the journey we have all been on the past few years. Then Charlie Forman from the Olympic Team in Hackney Council introduced us to the main speakers - Neil Walker from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) - who are actually running the Olympic Games & Sarah - one of the Pathfinder volunteers - who help LOGOC run the games.

We then heard from Emma Wheelhouse - from the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) - who is responsible for seeing that the Wick gets a good result after the Games.

Of course - most of what they said was all spin. That is their job. They need to convince all their own line managers that they are doing their job - so they tick loads of boxes by coming out into the community. But the most important thing is that they have now introduced themselves to us.

The rest is up to us. We need to make them aware of anything we want them to do. They are our servants. We are all paying their wages - and we are the ones living next to this huge park. We need to tell them what we want.

To this end - I brought up the catering facility with Neil again - and he promised that some sort of answer was busy making it's way back to us about all the plans, timings, mitigation etc included in the original email. Watch this space.

I the also asked Emma (again - again) - what was going to become of the footprint of the catering facility in legacy mode. All the plans still have a green open space directly opposite Leabank Square - but she still insists that the planning is in process - and that nothing has been decided yet.

Again - I stressed upon her our absolute desire that we have it returned to Arena Fields (all be it - much reduced) - so that when the Gainsborough School Footbridge is re-built - it lands on a green open space. She is still spouting the same regurgitated answers we have heard many times before - but says that the planning is to be decided early next year (2011) and we should know more then.

Remember to include Charlie Forman, Boris Johnson, Tessa Jowel & Meg Hillier in all your correspondence over this subject. We need them to impress on the OPLC that although we lost the lovely Arena Fields - but we can have some of it back in its original place!!

All in all - we had an enjoyable day networking - although the Olympic part was the same old same old - just a few new faces. It was good to talk to Robert Kavuma about the noise before 8am on the Arena Fields Road. It was brilliant chatting to Felicity from British Waterways - always positive.

Helen - once again - thank you so very much for getting this all arranged. You & the whole Hackney Council team made a big difference to the way we are all feel about this corner of your borough.




20 comments:

Matt said...

Sóna why have they not drawn up the plans for the catering centre yet?! Everything else was drawn up years ago - but when we want to see the building that's going to directly affect us the most inthe lead up to, during & after the games - NADA!!
Please get Neil to get the plans to us ASAP!
Matt

Anna said...

Thanks for the Brekkies. Nice peaceful way to start Sunday. I agree with Matt about the catering thing, but the most important priority is to get the green back across the canal!! We should all be putting maximum pressure on the decision makers to make that happen.
Anna

Paul said...

Hi Sóna
Like I tried to say at the meeting, we need to make someone put down in writing that Arena Fields will be protected. I know it is going to be much smaller, but the point YOU made about there being a breathing space along the cliff face of olympic buildings, is exactly the reason we have to have it!
Paul

Gill said...

Thanks for the email. I agree about the spin, I had to leave it was so bad. But upstairs I met some of the Trowbridge lot and they want to join with us on Arena Fields. I have their contacts, so please come over tomorrow. Is the Pik N Mix still on Tuesday?
Gill

Derek said...

Good meeting this morning bro. We need to stick together against these 'suits' as you call them. Leabank Square is gonna make life a lot more noisy for them until they take on board that we want the fields back. Nice one bro.
Derek

Tony said...

Thems were delishus crossants man. Send that company alss a reminder email from allus. Keep her on her toes. Tony

David said...

I'll bring some real beigels for the next one, promise.
I have no ammendments to make but prioritise the fields. Wasn't it lovely having such silence for once?
David

Su said...

Ta 4 the minutes. Concentrate on the Arena Fields action 1st. After we can get bolshy about the lack of consultation over the cooking thing. I bet they have no mitigation.
Su

Anonymous said...

Like Gill said, that oplc woman just spouted all the same old doo-doo that she always does. She sounded like she also signed up to the scientolympics cult along with just about everyone who comes and talks AT us here in the Wick.
She just recited pages of facts, and I never learnt anything new.
Alan was good though innit? He always is. It was good to see him again. I've missed him lately.
Mary

Tom said...

Mary, I joined Gill by escaping to the sarnies. I just couldn't stomach any more spin. Too slick and pro for my liking. Why can't these robots just talk straight?
Tom

Trudi said...

Sóna thanks for the minutes, about accurate I'd say. Please keep up the pressure on Arena Fields, especially with Boris! We need the LDA to put something in writing.
Trudi

Dee said...

Cheers mate. Don't forget about that idiot of a road sweeper who goes past at 7.30am every morning either. Did you tell Kavuma about him?
Dee

Steve said...

Hi Sóna
From here in Wick Village we also want the old Arena Fields replaced as close to where they were as possible. The catering facility doesn't affect us as much as you, but will still be noisy enough for the riversiders.
But the green has to retun in legacy. It just HAS to.
See you at Pik N Mix tonight.
Steve

Ms Scarlettttttt said...

I think we all agree that the re-instatement of Arena Fields is the main priority, everything else is secondary.
But keep all the other 5 action points going as well. We need results in all camps.
Ms Scarletttttt

Mohamed said...

Hello Sóna, firstly, the Fields MUST return, secondly, we need to get them to shut up before 8am, thirdly, that 360 degree camera MUST go!!
They owe us BIG TIME, yet they treat us like mushrooms!
Mohamed

Dirk said...

Sorry I didn't make Sundays breakfast, but the minutes look like it was all covered. Keep on keeping on them with Arena Fields.
Dirk

Derek said...

Shona, what are those trucks doing making such a noise across the canal ttonight? All I want to do when I get home is chillax without this bloody racket man!!

Matt said...

Is it my imagination or has the noise level over in the olympic site gone to 11?
What are they doing along the fence that#s making that humoungous noise?
Check it out when you get home will you please Sóna
Matt

Anna said...

Hi guys
Can I have another set of the minutes please. I think I deleted the last ones. Thanks
Anna

Matt said...

What is Hackney Council giving all these section whatevers to the ODA for?! Whose side are they on?!
I know the handball court work probably doesn't go over some stupid noise level, but the mere fact that it wakes us up in the middle of the night is cause enough not to let them continue!!
We pay our council tax to them in order to look after us not persecute us!
Matt