A STORY IN " THE TIMES "(19.4.06) HIGHLIGHTS A DISPUTE AMONG DEVELOPERS ON THE £4 BILLION STRATFORD CITY PROJECT ABOUT WHO WILL GET CONTROL OF THE SITE FOR REDEVELOPMENT.  ONE COMPANY HAS ASKED FOR A " FULL WAIVER " FROM ANY FUTURE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IN RELATION TO THE SITE, BUT AT THE TIME OF THE NEWSPAPER REPORT THIS HAD BEEN REFUSED BY ONE OF THE OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES.   NOW YOU MIGHT BE ASKING YOURSELF WHAT IS THIS IS ALL ABOUT, WHAT FUTURE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS ?   THE EXPRESSION " FUTURE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS " SHOULD RING A FEW ALARM BELLS AMONGS US, BEING AS OUR ELECTED LEADERS HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED A GREAT DEAL OF LONDONERS CASH TO THIS OLYMPIC PROJECT.

THE BIG "WHEELERS AND DEALERS" KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON BUT BECAUSE LONDONERS ARE NOT PART OF THE ELITE TOP DRAWER NEGOTIATORS WE CAN ONLY HAZARD A GUESS.    SO LET'S HAVE A GUESS !

CAST YOUR MIND BACK TO THE SITE OF THE " DOME " AND YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT A LARGE AREA WAS CONTAMINATED AND A MAJOR OPERATION HAD TO BE IMPLEMENTED TO REMOVE ALL THE CONTAMINATED SOIL.   NOT A CHEAP JOB TO DO. (WHETHER THIS HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RUN AWAY COSTS IS ANYONE'S GUESS) WE DO KNOW HOWEVER THAT THE " DOME " WAS A FINANCIAL DISASTER.

NOW THOSE OF US WHO ARE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHAT THE AREA AROUND THE OLYMPIC SITE LOOKED LIKE MANY YEARS AGO, WILL REMEMBER THAT IT CONTAINED A VERY LARGE INDUSTRIAL AREA EMPLOYING MANY LOCAL PEOPLE AND INCLUDED FIRMS LKE - BOAKE ROBERTS (Chemicals of all sorts) - BRITISH OIL AND CAKE MILLS (Fertilisers from Animal Manure) - HARRISONS SOAP MANUFACTURERS (Piles of dead animal bones on the premises for soap manufacture - YARDLEY'S( Perfume from all manner of ingredients) - PAINT MANUFACTURERS - CABINET MAKERS etc etc.SO COULD IT BE THAT AS A RESULT OF THESE PROCESSES OVER THE YEARS THE GROUND IS AS CONTAMINATED AS THE GROUND WAS ON THE " DOME SITE " ? IS THIS THE REASON WHY THOSE WHO WISH TO OBTAIN CONTROL OF THE SITE DO NOT WANT TO FACE " FUTURE LEGAL PROCEEDING " SO REQUIRE A " FULL WAIVER " - AND THOSE WHO WANT TO SELL THEIR INTEREST IN THE SITE ARE REFUSING TO GIVE ONE ?

OF COURSE, THIS IS JUST GUESSWORK IN THE ABSENCE OF ALL THE DETAILS. HOWEVER, OUR MAYOR, KEN ( I dun a good deal for Londoners) LIVINGSTON, HAS, ACCORDING TO " THE TIMES ", TOLD ALL THE PARTIES INVOLVED THAT IF NO RESOLUTION IS REACHED THE OLYMPIC DELIVERY AUTHORITY, AND LONDON AND CONTINENTAL RAILWAYS WILL " LAUNCH PROCEEDINGS " TO TAKE BACK THE SITE.

NOW BEFORE ANYONE STARTS TO CHEER, THE STING IN THE TAIL IS THAT IF THIS HAPPENS THE OLYMPIC DELIVERY AUTHORITY WILL REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL £600 MILLION, YES THAT'S RIGHT, ANOTHER £600, AND GUESS WHERE THAT EXTRA £600 MILLION WILL COME FROM ? THE NEWSPAPER REPORT USES THE WORDS " WHICH MAY NEED TO BE MET BY ADDING £250 TO LONDON COUNCIL TAX PAYERS "  (this is in addition to what Londoners have already been ordered to pay) .

THE PRESENT 10 YEAR OLYMPIC TAX ON LONDONERS WILL RAISE APPROXIMATELY £600 MILLION - SO ANOTHER £600 MILLION MEANS - (a) A DOUBLING OF THE PRESENT AMOUNT DEMANDED OR - (b) EXTENDING THE PRESENT 10 YEARS TO 20 YEARS - OR HOW ABOUT GETTING IT BY MAKING SURE ALL PROPERTIES ARE JUMPED UP TWO OR THREE COUNCIL TAX BANDS WHEN PROPERTIES ARE REVALUED IN 2007 ? WHAT'S YOUR GUESS ?

IF YOU ARE NOW BEGINNING TO HAVE YOUR DOUBTS JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE AND DEMAND THAT YOUR ELECTED LONDON REPRESENTATIVES START TO EARN THEIR HANDSOME SALARIES, EXPENSES, HOUSING ALLOWANCES, AND INDEXED LINKED PENSIONS, PAID FOR BY US, BY CALLING FOR THE ABOLITION OF THIS LONDONERS ONLY OLYMPIC PENALTY, AND THE CLAUSE IN THE "AGREEMENT" WHICH MAKES LONDONERS PAY A PART OF ANY LOSSES.

                  SAY  " NO " TO THE LONDONERS ONLY OLYMPIC LEVY AND FUTURE DEBTS.