Whilst those who are pushing the London 2012 Olympics as being the springboard for the regeneration of the East of London, there are others who quite rightly see the legacy of the games as offering little more for the residents of the East as Dagenham did when it was constructed in the 1930's.
Lord Mawson has warned that the multibillion investment in renewal schemes around the Newham Olympic site was in danger of being wasted.
Quote:
"The next 12 months will, for good or bad, cast the die for the next 100 years in east London.
What we see emerging . . . are two options: either we will build a new metropolitan district of London in the east, or we will end up with a giant housing estate."
Mawson notes that simply building thousands of new homes, "which will look fine for the world's TV cameras in 2012" is not enough.
Quote:
"Will today's public sector bodies leave us with another Dagenham on our doorstep for future generations? If so, a historic opportunity will have been missed, and east London will be destined to another 100 years of relative poverty and deprivation."
The "legacy" will be designed to look good on TV, and enhance the politicians' egos; it will not be designed to satisfy the needs of the people who have to live and work there.
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