We've been left out of running for Olympic success

nlnews@archant.co.uk
06 December 2006

Councillor George Meehan: ""Don't leave us out

HARINGEY has been left out of the running for the best deal from the 2012 Olympics - despite being less than five miles from the heart of the Games action.

With more than 70,000 jobs expected to be created by the worldwide spectacular, there is everything to play for in securing golden opportunities for the borough.

Millions of pounds is generated for the host city's economy every time an Olympic Games is staged.

A mass demand for supplies and services - from builders and plumbers to snack sellers - means that the Olympics has unparalleled short-term earning potential for local business people.

But Haringey has been left out of an elite group of boroughs which will club together to raise training and job opportunities for the people who live there. They are Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Greenwich,

Borough leaders in Haringey have been lobbying the London Development Agency - the Mayor of London's regeneration wing - to make room for one more in the Olympic Boroughs Local Employment and Training Framework, so that Haringey people can get direct access to Olympic benefits.

Councillor George Meehan, leader of Haringey Council, met City Hall leaders to discuss the future of north London and its Olympic-led overhaul.

Councillor Meehan said: "Understandably there is a focus on east London and the Thames Gareway area, particularly with the Olympics coming. But Haringey and other parts of north London have similar deprivation. What we are saying is 'don't leave us out'."

An Olympic Officer Working Group has been set up at Haringey Council to chanel information about Olympoic-based opportunities. Work is also being done on ensuring that small and ethnically-diverse businesses have a chance to bid for Olympic-generated contracts.

Sport England is also examining several key sites in Haringey as potential training camps for competitors. They are White Hart Lane Sports Centre, Northumberland Park School and Finsbury Park.

Haringey's transport system is also a key link to the success of the Olympics. A proposed direct train to Stratford's Olympic Park from Tottenham Hale will take approximately 12 minutes, a route which brings Haringey even closer to London's once in a lifetime shot of Olympic glory.

The Mayor of London aims to seize cross-capital opportunities from the Games with the London Employment and Skills Taskforce for 2012.

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: "This action plan will be a vital tool in maximising the potential for job creation, training and business growth as we as re-training and the development of new skills.