WALTHAMSTOW: Big screen broadcasting approved (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAMSTOW: Big screen broadcasting approved

11:42am Wednesday 6th August 2008 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(4)

A CONTROVERSIAL plan to allow a giant screen in central Walthamstow to broadcast for 16 hours a day has been approved by the council.

The screen will be turned on tomorrow at 12.45pm, just in time to catch the start of the Olympics in Beijing.

Major sporting events, cultural activities and council information will be shown from 7am to 11pm on the 3.7 metre high screen in the Town Square.

Officers urged councillors to vote in favour of the proposals, saying that the screen would put Walthamstow on the map.

But three residents spoke out against the plans.

One of them, Simon Monk said: "Residents are concerned the screen will be a billboard for the Olympics. If it is showing BBC programmes and events it will have be on for 16 hours a day. If we had a review in six months time we can find out if residents are happy with the screen."

Cllr Bob Wheatley expressed concern about the committee having to make an immediate decision.

He said: "Currently we have no way of knowing what effect the screen is going to have on people's lives. If we say yes now we will have no comeback later."

Cllr Matt Davis said he had heard of proposals to build a similar screen in Covent Garden which is to run from 9am to 9pm. He said these times are more practical.

"If the screen is supposed to broadcast the Olympics then isn't China several hours ahead of us? The Olympic diehards are probably going to watch the games on their tellies in their homes," he added.

The council said volume levels will be controlled by a screen management team and the local authority added they can raise or lower the volume even if they are outside Waltham Forest.

Cllr Davis said: "I'm concerned that this will be like Waltham Forest Direct, where residents can ring and ring but don't always get through."

Councillors voted six to three in favour but stipulated that a management review committee, including a backbench councillor, should report on the screen in six months.