WALTHAMSTOW: Olympic campsite "will be family-friendly" (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAMSTOW: Olympic campsite "will be family-friendly"

1:48pm Wednesday 1st February 2012 in Your Local Areas By Sarah May Hayes

Denis Geary promised the event would be family-friendly

THE boss of a controversial company which will create a 5,000 capacity campsite during the Olympics came face-to-face with critics of the plan.

At a town hall meeting on Tuesday (January 31), Denis Geary, director of Big Events Company (BEC), insisted the site on Low Hall Sports Ground in Walthamstow will be family-friendly and not disrupt nearby households.

Company’s Wicked Campers and Sunday Events, which are major shareholders in BEC, organise events renowned for alcohol consumption and raunchy entertainment.

Some residents feared their lives would be made a misery by loud music, boisterous crowds and traffic congestion.

They raised their concerns with Mr Geary during the public meeting, which was also attended by Keith Hanshaw, the council’s director of the public realm.

Responding Mr Geary said: “The campsite and festivals will be family orientated and all sections of the site will have a children’s area. We strongly believe that this will be a great benefit to the local residents; you are our host and we will ensure that we use local businesses wherever possible.

“We are confident that we can run a safe, family friendly event which will be complimented by an excellent entertainment area and will give a memorable experience to everyone.”

Mr Hanshaw added: “If people that are coming to the campsite are expecting the same sort of atmosphere as a nightclub, they will be very disappointed, and we wouldn’t tolerate it.

“Big Events Company won the tender for this campsite because they are experienced in security and safety.

Marc Knox, head of protest group Camp in London, said: “I think that the council held the meeting to save face so they could say afterwards, yes we have spoken to the residents. But they haven’t, most people in the immediate area of the sports ground still don’t know about it.

“I feel many of our questions were glossed over and the council aren’t listening to us at all.”

The council has refused to deny rumours that another large campsite is planned for Leyton Marshes or Ives Farm Sports Ground during the Olympics.