Who the hell or what the hell does the LDA think is 'the community'? Below is a comment from Martin Slavin of Games Monitor, who tried to follow up an LDA 'consultation' with 'the community'. Sustaining communities was one of the buzzwords used by the LDA to justify its Olympic programme. We know what that meant for Clays Lane. Demolition. What does it mean for the Legacy? Who knows? In this case the community seems to be a few officials who, in all likelihood, do not live where the development is planned. East London is now faced with further ransacking by developers who plan to build skyscrapers fanning out from the City where, incidentally, almost no-one lives. Maybe that is the LDA's perfect community. Banks, offices, council committees and as few residents as possible.

The following is an extract from a 28th January Press release on the LDA website at
http://www.lda.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.2444

"In October, the LDA held a legacy visioning event with planners and urban designers to understand what kind of ambitions and aspirations people wanted for their communities.

Their views and ideas have been harnessed among three working groups comprising of all of the partners - Department for Communities and Local Government, the five Olympic boroughs, Greater London Authority, ODA, Department for Culture Media and Sport, Design for London, the Thames Gateway Development Corporation and the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.

These working groups are covering three themes - delivery, engaging people and place making - and their reports will be feeding into the masterplanning process.

The LDA will also hold a legacy launch event in Stratford at the end of February where community groups can meet and build relationships with the masterplanners.

For media enquiries, please contact Andreas Christophorou at the LDA Media Team on 020 7593 8444; for public enquiries, please call 020 7593 9000."

Being curious about 'where community groups can meet and build relationships with the masterplanners' I phoned both of the above numbers and left my contact details. No-one I spoke to there could tell me anything about 'a legacy launch event in Stratford at the end of February' nor has anyone got back to me.

So I phoned 'Newham Council's team for the 2012 Games' on 020 8430 2012. The person I spoke to there said; "We don't know anything about it, it hasn't been advertised."

Then I spoke to a local contact who I thought might know who said; "Its by invitation only. Only our committee chairman has been invited."

Have you been invited to this exclusive rendevous ? Wherever that may be. Do you think the masterplanners will "understand what kind of ambitions and aspirations people wanted for their communities" or do you think that they will only hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest.