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'Shabby streets will embarrass London in 2012
Katharine Barney, City Hall Reporter12.06.08
London could be embarrassed by the poor state of its streets during the 2012 Olympics, an influential councillor warned today.
Daniel Moylan said streets were too cluttered, were unfriendly to pedestrians, and endangered cyclists.
He called on Mayor Boris Johnson, and Olympic chiefs to boost investment in tourist areas including Parliament Square, Piccadilly, Exhibition Road and Regent Street.
Mr Moylan, chairman of London Councils' transport and environment committee, said: “We risk letting ourselves down if we invite millions of visitors to London in its current condition.
Too many of our showpiece streets are dominated by unmaintained clutter, marginalise pedestrians,
endanger cyclists and make shopping and visiting cultural centres an unpleasant experience.
“London's boroughs are responsible for most of these public places but they are not being given adequate funding to bring them up to a decent standard.”
Mr Moylan, deputy leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, is backed by Living Streets, a charity that works to make public space more people-friendly, and the London Cycling Campaign.
Mr Johnson said: “In 2012 the capital must look its absolute best. I want to work with all communities and local boroughs to ensure the world sees just how proud we are of our fine capital.”
Reader views (7)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
HURRAH - Mayor Boris is shaving over a £1million from the City Hall Jolly to Beijing. Ken knew how to spend other people's money on pomposity for his great office. Just goes to show you it can be done. Our former Mayor was an egomaniac obsessed with showing off to other mayors forgetting that it is we Londoners that elected him. Do things for those of us that lived here first and not tourists, overseas dignitaries etc. Former Mayor Ken was also too obsessed with turning us into a New York clone - we are Londoners. The business model for running this country under New Labour seems to based on turning us into another American state.
It's a new era with Boris and I am looking forward to it.
- Grace, London
It' of no surprise our street's and squares will look like this. Leicester square is a mess as well as Oxford street which is completely embarrassing. There are master plans in place, we just need something to be done and done soon. But typically we will faff around for years and years doing nothing. If the Mayor wants to show real conviction he should actually force these developments through for everyone's sake.
- Christian, London
We are currently in Beijing where the Olympics are due to start in under 60 days. As bad as people say London is, I don't think we have anything to worry about.
Funny you mention foreign visitors. Whenever I am up in London, it is usually them I see on the underground eating, leaving rubbish and putting their feet on the seats!
And compared with the Chinese, we don't have a spitting problem at all. Being here for the past 3 weeks, on average I would say I hear/see about 20 people bringing up phlegm and spitting. (Sorry - Too much information I know). I can't see them stopping here.
Something the Chinese have which we need in London is a bit of a "we can pull together and put on a great games" spirit. This would make a change from the constant sniping and moaning.
- Tom, Wickford, Essex, UK
There's more chance of hell freezing over than making London an immaculately manicured city. This has always been a scruffy place and while we should always seek to keep it as tidy as possible, it will never be as scrubbed as Paris. You have to remember that 200 years ago, Leicester Square was pretty much a rubbish dump, Picadilly Circus has always been garish and Oxford Street used to be a shabby thoroughfare leading to the gallows at Tyburn. Just accept that this will never be a fair city - to me it's like a geezer who wears smelly socks, picks his nose and scratches his armpits openly...that's London, shabby and glorious.
- Tony Mcmahon, London, UK
BIG DEAL that "Shabby streets will embarrass London in 2012" . . . This Is London readers have to put up with them 24/7!
- Fraser, Telford Park
It's not only the streets that are shabby, with uncollected litter. The sides of railway lines are littered with cans, wrappers and other detritus. Foreign visitors coming for the Olympics will be astounded that it is allowable to eat and drink on the tube. Boris Johnson should ban this too - to align with almost every other mass transport system throughout the world.
- Peter, London
What about a big poster and t.v. campaign on spitting on the street AND spitting gum out on the street? If you don't spit on the floor at home - don't spit on the pavement and public places! It is a health hazard and an eyesore- no wonder now we are 'the dirty British'.
- Harley, London
