Council boss: Chelmsford will thrive regardless of rivals

Chelmsford Borough Council's planning boss believes that the opening of the new Westfield shopping mall in Stratford will not prevent the town from continuing to thrive and grow as a retail centre.

The town was boosted this week by news that a new £100 million retail development - including a brand new John Lewis department store - has been given the final go-ahead by the borough council's planning committee.

Cllr Neil Gulliver is enthusiastic about the future prospects for shoppers and workers alike in Chelmsford, regardless of retail choices elsewhere in the south-east.

Not concerned by the competition

Although three of the biggest shopping centres in the country - Westfield Stratford City, Lakeside and Bluewater - are within travelling distance, Cllr Gulliver maintains that Chelmsford can continue to increase its market share in the region.

He said: "Whenever we've done surveys, most Chelmsford residents have told us that they don't really like Lakeside and prefer travelling over the water to Bluewater because there is a better quality of shopping available there.

"With the development plans in place here, we can hopefully emulate that experience and offer a similar quality of shops."

Although the new Westfield centre at Stratford is only a short 20 minute train journey away, Cllr Gulliver is confident that shoppers will continue to opt for Chelmsford as their regular shopping destination.

"There's no doubt people will go to Stratford for a day out, but there's a limit to how much shopping they will be prepared to carry back with them on the train."

It's a quick and easy trip from Chelmsford to Stratford by train, but Cllr Gulliver believes the town will continue to hold its own (Credit: tomylees)

He said that this consideration was a major factor in John Lewis' determination to open a new branch of their department store in Chelmsford.

"If someone wants to buy a 32 inch flatscreen TV, they want to be able to pop it straight into the back of their car. The fact that we offer easy town centre parking gives us an important advantage."

'Wait and see' on city status

Chelmsford has made numerous bids for city status in the past, but Cllr Gulliver is relatively relaxed about the town's prospects of realising this ambition in the near future.

He said: "Chelmsford will continue to grow and thrive regardless of the city status bid. It would be a nice thing to get but it won't hold us back."

Is the sky the limit for Southend Airport?

Today's announcement that EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou is in the process of setting up a new rival airline has prompted a lot of speculation, but the outspoken entrepreneur has so far kept the details of his new 'Fastjet' venture close to his chest. The Fastjet website simply declares that it is 'coming soon'. With the lack of any further information it's hard to tell how far down the line the airline's development is.

Although Stelios and his family still own 38% of EasyJet, he has been at loggerheads with the airline's board of directors for a number of years now. The revelation he is seeking to set up a rival airline could be dismissed as simple sour grapes, but the Haji-Ioannou family certainly has the necessary financial clout.

Stelios has extended the 'easy' brand to plenty of different ventures - including pizza - over the years, but he now seems set to abandon the brand (Photo credit: www.stelios.com)

One of the big questions of course, is how does a new airline establish a presence in and around the capital when any sort of airport expansion inevitably comes up against so much scrutiny and opposition?

The answer could lie on the Essex coast. For Southend Airport, the timing couldn't be any better. Last week marked the official opening of the rail link between the site and central London - 53 minutes from central London and 44 minutes from the Olympic site in Stratford.

Southend Airport is undergoing a massive improvement project. Having struggled to attract passenger airlines in recent decades, it will have 70 flights departing each week from April next year when EasyJet start flying to destinations such as Amsterdam, Barcelona and Belfast.

EasyJet's regular routes from Southend are key to the Stobart Group's ambitions for Southend (Credit: jakers118)

The owners - Stobart Group - have ambitious long-term plans too. By the year 2020 they want 2 million passengers per year to be passing through. Could Fastjet be the fast-track to Southend reaching these heights and becoming a major transport hub in the south-east of England?

Nothing violent except the rainfall

In almost every sense it was drama-free. After the trouble that marred the last meeting between fierce rivals West Ham and Millwall two years ago, the two sides played out a boring 0-0 draw yesterday at the New Den. Thankfully the lack of action on the pitch was matched outside the ground, with no repeat of the running street battles that took place during the 2009 match.

The kick-off time undoubtedly helped. Whereas the game two years ago was played on a Wednesday evening, the 12.30pm start this time lends itself to a more sedate atmosphere. Secondly, the authorities left no stone unturned in their efforts to keep the two sets of fans separated from each other. My only criticism is that communication always seems to be a weakness - and yes it can prove frustrating to be penned in for an hour when you want to get a train - but if the police's aim was to avoid violence and disorder then they certainly succeeded.

Segregation: West Ham fans get off at South Bermondsey station

Before and after the game, the police manoeuvred things so that the vast majority of West Ham and Millwall fans never got within 100 yards of each other. Away fans were herded onto separate trains into and out of London Bridge and police cordons kept aggravation to no more than a verbal slanging match.

The route between the train station and the football ground at Millwall has been specifically designed with crowd management in mind. Home fans with a fondness for the atmosphere of old at the Den have branded the walkway between the station and the away turnstiles as 'Coward's Alley' - it ensures that away fans can be marched from their seat and onto a train without as much as seeing a Millwall supporter along the way.

Scores of police lead the way post-match

Given the circumstances I don't think many of us West Ham fans had any gripes with the concept. The communication between us and the police was frustrating however. Initially after the final whistle we were informed over the tannoy that we would be allowed to head to the train in 'a few minutes'. When we were finally allowed outside we were kept behind a gate until eventually being told it would be 'single figure minutes' until we could walk to the station. In total it was well over an hour after full-time until the first travelling fans were allowed onto a train. Not ideal, especially once the heavens opened and we all got absolutely soaked.

Fenced in: waiting to be allowed to walk to the station

Again at London Bridge, there was a long wait. Women and children were allowed to leave while all adult males were kept from leaving the station. This is where the communication problem reared its head again. Inspectors ordered constables to maintain a cordon without explaining the reason for doing so. The fact that the constables were unable to explain to any of us what was happening was a cause of unnecessary bad feeling that could have easily been avoided. Then muddled orders led to the farcical sights of police officers shouting at each other as they tried to orchestrate our exit.

All in all, a minor issue and the police will be happy with their day's work. The return fixture takes place at Upton Park in February. At a stadium that lacks the ability to keep fans apart easily, it remains to be seen if the authorities will face a more difficult task keeping the peace.

Desperate times on the walk back to the train as one fan wears a cardboard box on his head as a makeshift umbrella

Newham Mayor: Westfield more important than Olympics

The Mayor of Newham has proclaimed the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, which opened today, to be a more important moment for the borough than hosting next year's Olympic Games.

Developers Westfield say that the site - the largest shopping centre in Europe - has created 10,000 jobs. Sir Robin Wales expressed his pleasure that more Newham residents were finding work, but emphasised that there was plenty more work ahead.

Sir Robin said: "I was asked what I would rather have - the Olympics or Westfield - and I said Westfield. The Olympics will inspire people, but the bottom line for me is getting our residents into jobs. That's why I support developments like this.

"Westfield have been great and they've worked with us closely so that many of the jobs have gone to Newham residents, many of whom haven't been working for a while."

Westfield and the Olympics: combining opportunity and inspiration?

Crowds rushed to the development in Stratford - situated next to the Olympic Stadium - today as stores celebrated the occasion with giveaways and celebrity autograph sessions. American singer and one-time X-Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger performed in the middle of Westfield at lunchtime, with onlookers including the Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

A tight squeeze as crowds flock to Stratford on Westfield's big day

While Sir Robin is keen to see customers flocking to Westfield to enjoy themselves, he remains firmly focused on the long-term goal of getting as many local residents into work as possible:

"With Westfield and the Olympics we have the perfect combination - it will give jobs, inspiration and opportunity. We've got to make the most of this to get thousands of our fellow citizens into work.

"It's a great start - we've got a lot to do but we've got a lot done already."

Olympic gloom in Tower Hamlets

When London won the right to host the 2012 Olympics, Tower Hamlets was promised a prominent role in the running of the Games. Now six years later, the borough is facing up to the grim prospect of no events at all taking place in the area.

In late November, world athletics chiefs approved the controversial 2012 Olympic marathon route. Originally planned to run through the streets of East London to finish in the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, the 26.2 mile race will now instead be routed around the landmarks of central London and finish at The Mall.

Although they are one of the five ‘Olympic boroughs’ in the East London area, the marathon decision represents the final nail in the coffin for Tower Hamlets as they are now left without a single sporting event during the Games.

The basketball tournament and the walking race were also originally planned to take place in Tower Hamlets when London won the Olympic bid in 2005. An official statement from the borough council about the issue is damning:

“Bit by bit the Olympic organisers have chipped away at the borough’s involvement. They will have broken their promise to thousands of Tower Hamlets residents.”

Upon announcing the decision, the chairman of the London organising committee, Lord Sebastian Coe, said: “This is one of the hardest decisions we have had to take. We have agreed with the Leader of Tower Hamlets Council to develop a proposal creating other opportunities for the borough to be part of the Games.”

Quite what these opportunities would actually be remains unclear. With the prospect of any sporting events in the borough now completely gone, it would appear to be little more than a token gesture while the sporting action takes place elsewhere in the city.

The contrast with the neighbouring borough of Newham is obvious. While the Stratford area is awash with building development and regeneration, it appears to be business as usual in Tower Hamlets.

Russell Stone, of W.J. Meade estate agents in Bow, describes the property market in Tower Hamlets as being a world apart from the boom of new homes being built closer to the Olympic village.

He said: “They are building a huge amount of new flats in the Stratford, but this area has never been affected because we’re that far away from Hackney and Stratford.”

Although there may be little sign of regeneration, he is keen to challenge the perception that the Olympic organisers decided to re-route the marathon because Tower Hamlets was not picturesque or “television-friendly” enough.

Mr Stone said: “Tower Hamlets has a great selection of Georgian squares, Victorian and Edwardian houses. Lord Coe should come down here and I will show him Tredegar Square which is as elegant as Hyde Park Square. I’d like to see him show me a nicer square in London.”

Tredegar Square: not picturesque enough for Lord Coe? (Credit: Ruth Sharville)

Nonetheless, the absence of any signs of change seems to be reflected in the lack of enthusiasm from the locals about the Games. My attempts to talk to shopkeepers and local residents about the upcoming Olympics were generally met with complete indifference. The Olympic site may be just over the horizon, but the people of Tower Hamlets seem to be ignoring its presence.

Nobody seemed to have anything positive to say about 2012 and those who did express an opinion were understandably negative in their outlook. Mrs. Moore, manager of Colvin’s Florist in Mile End, expressed her disappointment at the situation.

She said: “It’s a massive shame and we feel cheated. I feel it’s going to have a bad effect on local businesses as well. Unfortunately it looks like they’ve made their mind up about the marathon and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Save for the occasional grumbling voice, there are no signs whatsoever that there is an Olympic village being constructed less than two miles away. When the eyes of the world are on Stratford in the summer of 2012, Tower Hamlets will be the Olympics’ forgotten borough.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: An Olympic legacy that's just not cricket

UPDATE: This is an article I wrote back in January. Since then the OPLC has chosen West Ham United as their preferred tenants. Despite opposition from both Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton Orient football clubs, West Ham seem set to inherit the stadium after the Olympic Games. However, the situation regarding the future design and usage of the stadium beyond football is not really any clearer now than it was in January. This story will run long beyond the summer of 2012.

21 Jan 2011:

Debate on the future of London's Olympic Stadium has focused on the ambitions of two Premier League football clubs, but this month's final decision on its long-term usage will have a wider impact on sporting life in Essex and East London.

While Tottenham Hotspur and the events promoter AEG plan to demolish the 2012 centrepiece to make way for a purpose-built stadium, West Ham United and Newham Council are keen to emphasise the prospect of the existing arena living on as a multi-sport venue with a strong community focus.

Although West Ham's proposals would appear to honour the pledge of an athletics legacy that was so central in ensuring that London won the Games back in 2005, the extent to which the stadium will become a truly multi-purpose venue is uncertain.

While the bid is keen to talk up the wide variety of uses the stadium will be put to, none of these proposals appear to be set in stone.

Under construction, but the stadium's long-term future is undecided (Credit: Pplfichi)

Essex County Cricket Club have expressed an interest in playing Twenty20 matches at the stadium in the event of West Ham becoming the main tenants, the club remain non-committal on the likelihood of these ambitions becoming a reality.

Essex Chief Executive David East said: "We are not fully committed to hosting matches at the stadium. We have indicated our wish to explore matters with West Ham and Newham Council and we will do so if their bid is successful."

Essex, meanwhile, are pressing ahead with plans to redevelop their own headquarters in Chelmsford.

East said: "The Olympic Stadium issue won't affect our redevelopment plans in any way. It is business as usual at Chelmsford."

Even before the 2012 Games have finished, the original plans to provide an athletics legacy are already being scuppered. UK Athletics had wanted to bring the 2015 World Athletics Championships to the Olympic Stadium, but they have been forced to abandon the plan while the future of the venue remains up in the air.

UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner said: “Obviously we are disappointed not to be pursuing our 2015 but we need to present a bid that is free of any uncertainties. That is not something we can commit to until the process regarding the future of the Stadium is concluded."

Warner indicated that UK Athletics intended to switch their focus to hosting the 2017 Championships, but once more these plans are entirely dependent on the decision that will be made by the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) later this month.

In spite of these doubts, the UK government are keen to emphasise the importance of an Olympic legacy.

Reacting to the abandoned 2015 bid, Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said: "In our bid for the 2012 Olympics we were clear that the Games would produce a legacy for athletics and that has not changed. We cannot stress enough the importance of athletics as part of the Olympic legacy."

Although Robertson's words appear reassuring, the nature of the two leading bids to take over the Olympic Stadium tells another story. Regardless of which bid the OPLC chooses, the sporting legacy of 2012 will continue to be uncertain.

What's it all about?

I'd always been a bit reluctant to start a blog without good reason. Some people can write amazing blogs about their everyday lives that are genuinely entertaining and absorbing, but I never felt I was capable of anything like that. I suppose the journalist in me has always been more comfortable writing about other people's stories than my own.

So basically I'll be trying to keep things as topical and newsworthy as possible. Over the past year as I've travelled on the train between Chelmsford and Liverpool Street, I've witnessed the steady transformation of the Olympic Park in Stratford. With the eyes of the world set to be on the area in just under a year's time, it promises to be an exciting time for the region. There are loads of stories to tell.