Olympics cash hopes dashed - Camden Town Hall to get just £200k to fund extra street cleaning and safety patrols

Published: 17 February 2011
by JOSIE HINTON

A “POOR DEAL” over funding for the 2012 Olympics will leave Camden Council unable to cover the extra cost of the games.

Town Hall bosses say they will be unable to pay for extra street cleaning and community safety patrols after receiving just £200,000 from the government and the Greater London Authority.

Camden estimates it will cost £1.1million to improve the appearance of the borough when hundreds of thousands of tourists descend on its streets and hotels.

But councillors have been left with a £900,000 shortfall after receiving just 18 per cent of their funding bid. Neighbouring Westminster has been allocated £4million – more than it originally asked for.

During the games, up to 10,000 people every hour will board high-speed Javelin trains at St Pancras station to travel to the Olympics site. Bloomsbury will house around 20,000 journalists at a “media hub”.

Labour councillor Tulip Siddiq, culture chief, said the council would be forced to make “difficult choices” over where to spend the cash.

“This is a poor deal for Camden and unless the decision to award us just 18 per cent of our original bid is reconsidered we are going to struggle with the limited resources we have.

“This will lead to choices between whether we keep up with demand for street cleaning or use the money for enforcement action against rogue street traders taking advantage of the crowds.”

It is also feared that Camden’s businesses and motorists could suffer from traffic problems caused by VIP traffic lanes, used exclusively by athletes and officials. Other traffic, including buses, will be herded into fewer lanes on already congested roads such as Euston Road and Southampton Row.

Jim Murray, chair of the Bloomsbury Association, said: “What does concern us is that Camden has lost additional funding for community safety and emergency planning for what will be an increased pressure on these services. This is an unacceptable risk during the Olympic period.

“Crime and anti-social behaviour in the south of the borough is already at an unacceptably high level and is anticipated to increase with the easy pickings that will be on offer from the expected large numbers of people coming into the area.”

A spokesman for London Mayor Boris Johnson said: “The funding allocated to boroughs is a reflection of the responsibilities and involvement each will have during the games. Westminster, which will play host to a great deal of sporting activity and three major venues, has been granted its level of funding for precisely this reason.”