Thursday, 6 November 2008

(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……….

Posted by Leabank Square at 21:52

9 comments:

Pete 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
07 November 2008 11:02:00 GMT

Dirk 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
07 November 2008 11:26:00 GMT

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!!!
07 November 2008 12:21:00 GMT

Su 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
07 November 2008 13:00:00 GMT

James 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
07 November 2008 15:54:00 GMT

Ms Purple 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
07 November 2008 16:29:00 GMT

Charlie 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
07 November 2008 23:20:00 GMT
Owen 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.
08 November 2008 10:51:00 GMT

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
08 November 2008 12:02:00 GMT