A chance to do your bit in fight for Stow.Byline: Jonathan Hobbs WALTHAMSTOW closed almost a year ago, but it's still making the news. And if the Save Our Stow campaign has its way, that should be the case for the next six months as plans to reopen the iconic venue reach a crucial stage. A month ago there was an admittedly low-key protest outside the stadium, but that could pale into insignificance in·sig·nif·i·cance n. The quality or state of being insignificant. Noun 1. insignificance - the quality of having little or no significance unimportance - the quality of not being important or worthy of note compared to what might follow as SOS SOS, code letters of the international distress signal. The signal is expressed in International Morse code as … — — — … (three dots, three dashes, three dots). crank up the pressure on the site's owners London & Quadrant in what could be a last-ditch attempt to reclaim the land. When the gates shut on August 16 last year, most inside the track could be forgiven for thinking it would be forever, as they tore around the track grabbing souvenirs. SOS campaign leader Ricky Holloway launched salvo after salvo, but despite his brilliant efforts, L& Q moved in and the Chandlers moved out. Not all the family wanted to sell, of course, and ask a good few now and they'd be back up the Paddock Grill next Saturday looking forward to the heats of the Circuit, the welcoming smile of Eddie the maitre'd, and a three-course meal you would not beat in a West End restaurant. Happy days. But that's in the past. The site is now owned by a housing association, a nonprofit making organisation which has the aim of providing affordable housing to ease a housing crisis in the area. I don't know if there is a crisis or not. What I do know is that Walthamstow now boasts zilch. It's like Catford. It is an area bereft of leisure and entertainment facilities, anything to better the local economy or the lives of local people. Where once stood Catford's track is now rubble. At least the Stow still has its stands intact, and while they are there, there is hope. And there is money. The latest potential saviour is a Essex businessman, who would jump at the chance of redeveloping Walthamstow and turning it into the gambling and leisure emporium it always should have been. Come the Olympics in 2012, it could also be the place to head to when the lights go down over the Olympic village Frequently, an Olympic Village is built within an Olympic Park or elsewhere in a host city. Olympic Villages are built to house all participating athletes, as well as officials, trainers, etc. The idea of the Olympic Village comes from Pierre de Coubertin. . The potential seems limitless. A nightclub, a casino, a Thursday/Friday/Saturday racenight schedule at a modern arena. Maybe even affordable housing on site, a library, a cinema, a shopping mall. Pie-in-the-sky, all of it, but possible. INDEED, the success of the O2 proves anything is attainable if the desire is there, and the accompanying resources. That area of south London South London (known colloquially as South of the River) is the area of London south of the River Thames. Some neighbourhoods north of the Thames have South London postal codes (SW), but these neighbourhoods are classified as West or Central London. has risen like a phoenix from the ashes of a white elephant White Elephant Any investment that nobody wants because it is unprofitable. Notes: The term 'White Elephant' is derived from Thailand, where an Albino (white) elephant was given to unfavored people by the ruler. known as The Dome. We didn't think that could happen, but it has, and it's brilliant down there. It's no different here. But the purchase price needs to be lower than the pounds 18m L& Q paid the Chandler family. Only a fool would pay that now, with a (conservative) 30 per cent dip in property and land value. There's no planning permission planning permission Noun formal permission granted by a local authority for the construction, alteration, or change of use of a building planning permission n → licencia de obras for the site, either. And let's not start on the flood risk. The more you look at it, it doesn't look the greatest of deals. But L& Q won't sell. They might with a profit, they've said. A profit? Are they mad? Well, no, actually they're not. They are a well-run company, nobody's fools, and the sort you'd want to work for, if you were in that line of business. But it means we are in limbo. The best intentions are there, but the buyer aint selling. It doesn't have to, doesn't need the money. L& Q reckon they can wait for planning permission. What's a few hundred thousand pounds in 24-hour security, council and land taxes? We are probably paying for it anyway, courtesy of Government subsidies to housing associations. And that's where we might just have the last laugh, to make L& Q finally see sense, and get our stadium back! Join the SOS team in making your feelings known to Waltham Forest Waltham Forest (wôl`təm, –thəm), outer borough (1991 pop. 203,400) of Greater London, SE England. The borough, covering 15 sq mi (40 sq km), is primarily residential. William Morris lived in Water House. Council via its website (www.sos.co.uk). Let the council know how a leisure emporium and associated community facilties, plus a greyhound track to be proud of would help you, our sport, and the local area. It might get dirty, but it might need to. Will you be up for the fight?'It is an area bereft of leisure and entertainment facilities' |
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