Letter to press on Fish Island - Cllr Gipson

3.45.29pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 31st Jan 2006

I'm a big supporter of the Olympics coming to London but I never understood why we should clear a busy industrial area just to have a temporary car and coach park.

Along with Gavin Ridding of the Fish Island Business Club, I've been fighting against these proposals. We believed it was possible to keep our businesses and have the Olympics.

When these plans were first revealed we were reassured by the London Development Agency that they would open up further negotiations with local businesses before issuing Compulsory Purchases Orders. This didn't happen, last December the CPOs were issued causing anger in distress in the business community.

An emergency meeting was called and the Fish Island Business Club passed a resolution to fight the CPOs. We engaged Planning Aid for London to develop alternative proposals for the Olympic site that would safeguard local business and jobs.

Our hard work and commitment paid off. On Monday 30th January the LDA issued a press release stating that they are releasing the majority of Fish Island and resiting the car and coach park.

All this has been achieved without any help from the Labour-run Council which I think it outrageous given the number of local businesses and jobs that were under threat.

Yours sincerely

Cllr Ray Gipson

Tower Hamlets Liberal Democrat Councillors