Police to probe 2014 Games land deals

From inside the games:

By Tom Degun

January 4 - Police are set to look at a series of multi-million pound land deals in Glasgow which were bought in order to build venues for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the city.

The police probe comes following a complaint by Scottish National Party member James Dornan, who represents the city's Cathcart constituency.

Dornan wants to establish whether public money for the Commonwealth Games was misused in some deals.

In one case, Mayfair property developer Charles Price was paid £17 million ($26 million/€20 million) for land needed for the Athletes' Village (pictured above) which had cost him just £8 million ($12.5 million/€9.5 million).

Glasgow City Council justified the pay-out on the basis that it had commissioned an independent valuation of the land from surveying firm Colliers CRE.

The Council had special compulsory purchase powers granted by the Scottish Government which were designed to protect the public purse during negotiations over land needed for the Commonwealth Games.

However, the authority chose not to use them against Price's company.

Another deal saw former Rangers owner Sir David Murray's (pictured) company paid £5.1 million ($7.2 million/€6.1 million) for the site of the former Dalmarnock Power Station which had been bought for just £375,000 ($585,000/€449,457) in 2005.

The site was derelict, contaminated by a cocktail of metals and had been used as a dump by fly tippers but it was sold by Sir David's company for nearly a £5 million ($7 million/€6 million) profit to the publicly-funded urban regeneration company Clyde Gateway after an independent valuation had been carried out by a surveying firm.

A third deal saw council-owned land given away free to a property developer whose directors gave money to the Labour party, only to be bought back three years later for £1.3 million ($1.9 million/€1.56 million) after an independent valuation had been carried out by a surveying firm.

Dornan asked for land deals to be investigated in October last year by writing to Strathclyde chief constable Stephen House and Scotland's auditor general Robert Black.

"We can confirm that a complaint has been received and enquiries are on-going," a spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police said.

It is not suggested any of the sellers were involved in criminal behaviour but the buyers could have questions to answer.

"I am very encouraged by the police response to my complaint," said Dornan.

"Clearly, the council tax payers of Glasgow have to be confident that public money is being spent wisely.

"Any suggestion to the contrary - that public money is not being spent wisely - has to be fully investigated."

Contact the writer of this story at tom.degun@insidethegames.biz

Evening Times: "Sound of silence over 2014 Games inquiry"

Sound of silence over 2014 Games inquiry

Stewart Paterson

18 Aug 2011

Glasgow councillors are demanding further answers over a report into whether 2014 Commonwealth Games bosses were properly scrutinised in the wake of the resignation of shamed former chief executive John Scott.

Councillors on Glasgow City Council’s finance scrutiny committee had requested a report into how the council monitors the activities of 2014 Ltd, the organising committee for Glasgow hosting the event.

But when the SNP and Labour councillors were given details of the 11-page report they refused to ask questions and noted the report in silence.

The report stated scrutiny procedures in place “were robust”. But Kenneth Elder, the Liberal Democrat chairman of the committee, later said he wanted reassurance procedures were properly followed.

Mr Scott quit in July, sparking controversy when he refused to reveal the exact details of his misdemeanour, only saying he failed to register an offer from a potential supplier.

Concerns were raised over the monitoring of the firm run by a board of members from the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and the Commonwealth Games Scotland.

Following Mr Scott’s resignation the conveners of the council’s three scrutiny committees met, and decided the finance and audit scrutiny committee should probe the governance arrangements at 2014.

At a meeting of the committee, Carole Forrest, assistant director of corporate services, delivered the report.

She said: “The loss of a chief executive is a key issue for any organisation. In this situation, however, the effects of the loss were mitigated by the appointment of the chief operating officer acting chief executive.

“This has ensured there is continuity in the preparations for delivery of the Games pending the appointment of a new chief executive.”

But Mr Elder asked for more clarification. After the meeting he said: “It is a good point whether you can take silence as consent. I want to be assured the procedures have been carried out and the council is adhering to its own policies.”

Ms Forrest said the highest level of monitoring was by the Strategic Group, which is chaired by First Minister Alex Salmond and includes city council leader Gordon Matheson.

Dr Christopher Mason, leader of the LibDems’ group on the council, said he and his fellow scrutiny committee conveners felt there were serious questions about the way Glasgow 2014 was being run.

A correspondent writes

From one of our regular correspondents:

To the Scottish Government

Owing to the current addiction to neoliberalism on the part of Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government, a number of "pie-in-the-sky" schemes have been promoted by both entities.

"No one" could see the financial collapse of 2008 coming (this according to the very people who didn't see it coming!), just as "no one" could see that invading Iraq would be a disaster (except, of course, for the millions who marched against the war before it started).

Obviously in both cases, the experts were 100% wrong. For any of us to move forward in a productive way, we need to admit when we're wrong and learn from it.

We are now, due to the reckless actions of the former GCC leader Steven Purcell, lumbered with the costly mega-event known as the Commonwealth Games. One of the supposed benefits (which will not trickle down to the city's residents) is tourism. I think it's worthwhile to look at the report of Ronald Jackson, regarding a CPO obtained by GCC against several local businesses. In the report, Mr Jackson states:

"On balance, given the commitment and involvement of Jumeirah, the detailed appraisal
work on both cost and value that has been carried out and the evidence set out in
paragraphs 10-14 above, I consider that it is much more likely than not that the necessary
funding would be available for the scheme. Having regard to my findings in this and the
three preceding paragraphs I attach little weight to the objectors’ development appraisal
(RBH 7), prefer the evidence of the council and its witnesses and conclude that the weight
of evidence shows that the scheme would be financially viable."

Now consider today's news:

"Jumeirah Group’s plans to operate a luxury hotel in Scotland have been thrown into disarray after the developer behind the $200m project went into administration."

Perhaps only in Glasgow could the city unveil an "International Financial Services District" after the collapse of international finance, but then again nonsensical development plans have scarred cities across the UK and USA.

What about actually listening to the people who live in the city?

Sincerely

XXXXXXXXXXX

Commonwealth Games Chief quits over "gift"

From the Daily Record:

Glasgow Commonwealth Games chief quits over gift

Jun 28 2011 Chris Musson

Gift 'mistake' costs Scott his 2014 post

POLICE are to question Commonwealth Games chiefs after the head of Glasgow 2014 quit for failing to declare a gift.

John Scott admitted he had accepted an "offer" from a "potential supplier" and failed to declare it.

Games organisers Glasgow 2014 Ltd announced the 59-year-old had resigned from his £179,000-a-year post.

But they refused to reveal details of what he took.

They would only say it was an "error of judgment" and a "mistake".

Last night, Strathclyde Police said no investigation has been launched into the scandal.

However, it is understood police will speak to the board, possibly today, and the situation could change.

A senior insider at the force said: "We will be asking questions about this."

Lord Robert Smith, chairman of the Glasgow 2014 board, announced Scott's resignation after an emergency meeting yesterday.

Insiders say the details of the gift or gratuity were not disclosed to the meeting and are only known to Lord Smith and a close circle.

In a statement, Lord Smith said: "John Scott has made an important contribution to the plannin g of what we believe will be an outstanding Games.

"The board has accepted his resignation for an error of judgment he made in accepting, and not declaring, an offer from one of Glasgow 2014's potential suppliers, in breach of the organising committee's strict gifts and gratuities policy.

"I know he deeply regrets this mistake and this was a job that he loved. It is a measure of the man that he has put the values and reputation of the organising committee ahead of his own at this time.

"John was largely responsible for setting the committee's high standards of governance and he felt he could not continue in his role as chief executive under the circumstances."

Commonwealth Games minister Shona Robison said: "John Scott has made a valuable contribution as chief executive of the organising committee.

"However, the reputation and integrity of our Games is paramount and, to that end, I believe Mr Scott has done the right and principled thing in stepping down."

Gordon Arthur, a board member and the spokesman for Glasgow 2014, said Scott informed Lord Smith of the offer late last week.

The Scottish government and Glasgow City Council - the two bodies funding the Games - were told of Scott's resignation yesterday afternoon.

David Grevemberg, the current chief operating officer, has taken over as acting chief executive.

Scott took up his post in 2008. Before that, he was a key adviser on the London 2012 Olympic bid.

Evicted gran goes back to see flat pulled down

Evicted gran returns to see her flat being pulled down

• 

• Margaret Jaconelli returns to her old home with grandson Luca

Paul Drury

5 May 2011

Commonwealth Games site battler Margaret Jaconelli returned to her old home in Glasgow’s East End … to watch it being demolished.

Glasgow City Council carried out its promise to pull down the sandstone built flats in Ardenlea Street, Dalmarnock to make way for a service area for the 2014 sporting extravaganza.

There was no sign of the heavy security or the 100 police officers who helped evict Margaret and her family 42 days ago following a legal battle in which the family refused to move from the site which will be next to the Athletes’ Village.

Margaret, husband Jack and members of her family turned up for a final farewell to their home of 35 years.

Margaret, 53 said: “I am homeless and penniless thanks to a hard-hearted local authority.

“They said they would paying me £90,000 for my property though I’ve not had so much as a letter from the council.

“All I’m walking away with today is memories.”

She criticised Glasgow City Council for refusing to accept a mediation proposal put forward by the SNP government in Holyrood.

The Jaconellis and their four sons, daughter-in-law and grandson Luca, eight months, spent around 30 minutes in the street during a workman’s tea-break.

Then, after one final look back, they walked out of Ardenlea Street for the last time.

The doomed sandstone tenement still had the message written on the front: ‘Davina – We’re No Being Evicted’. It was the only remaining sign of the family’s sit-in campaign.

The wrecking crew then moved in to turn the building into rubble.

It was the only home Margaret’s son Aaron, 17, had known and he said: “I can remember happy days here, playing in the street.

“Now it’s all gone, I’m gutted.”

A council spokesman said: “The demolition will allow construction work on the Athletes’ Village to begin.” [Well, that's alright then. There will be absolutely NO benefit for the residents of Glasgow, but hey - someone will be making some quick money...]

Save the Accord Centre

So two weeks ago the Accord Centre were sent a letter from the Council saying they would have to vacate the premises yesterday. But the place the Council was going to move everyone is having "financial difficulties". Anyways, the Centre is fighting back - follow their news on Facebook.

Games Monitor: The eviction

Photos and more about the Jaconelli eviction: http://gamesmonitor2014.wordpress.com/

Disgrace

100 cops evict gran from flat for Commonweath Games

by Steve White, Daily Mirror 25/03/2011

MORE than 100 police officers yesterday helped evict a defiant gran from her flat, which is to be flattened for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

In a 5am raid, Margaret Jaconelli, 52, was shifted by force from her Glasgow home of 35 years after an eight-year legal battle.

Her supporters were stunned by the numbers used by Strathclyde Police, but the force said the eviction was “resourced appropriately”.

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/03/25/100-cops-evict-gran-from-flat-for-commonweath-games-115875-23014135/#ixzz1HcTtF2Zj

The Herald notices Glasgow planning makes no sense

It took them awhile, but still the elite organ the Glasgow Herald finally notices that the City Council's destruction of the city makes no sense. Still, they oddly recommend that Margaret Jaconelli "take the money and move on". However, they do - finally, belatedly - recognise that knocking down communities does not engender communities. Better late than never?

The real legacy of the 2014 Games

The transformation of the east end of Glasgow into an international sports hub for the Commonwealth Games in 2014 is but the latest episode in the decades-long saga of regeneration of the area.

Successive city councillors, planners, economists and architects have wrestled with Quixotic plans to once again make the post-industrial city the Dear Green Place.

There have been many mistakes along the way, mostly due to vaulting municipal ambition. Glasgow undertook the largest, post-war, comprehensive redevelopment of any city in the UK and thousands of tenements were demolished. Famously, a delegation of councillors to Marseille in 1947 were so bedazzled by Le Corbusier’s tower blocks that they returned with visions of replacing dark slums with sun-filled, high-rise towers. The reality in rainy west of Scotland was very different. The most notorious blocks in Hutchesontown, where tenants used to conduct journalists on tours of the mould growing on the walls, have now been demolished.

With the award of the title of European City of Architecture in 1999 came a new sense of custodianship, not just of the ornate city centre buildings but of the streets of handsomely proportioned sandstone tenements which have been integral to the physical and social structure of the city since Victorian times.

Yet the recognition that too many have been lost that might have been refurbished has not spared the traditional streets around Parkhead from the developers’ bulldozers. The tried and tested model of three floors of tenement flats above ground floor shops provides the sense of community all planners seek. In this case, however, that has been trumped by the greater good of the new community due to emerge as the legacy of the Commonwealth Games.

Which is where Jack and Margaret Jaconelli come into the picture. Their tenement flat is now the only one still occupied in Ardenlea Street, the whole of which is to be demolished to provide a construction yard for the athletes’ village for the Games. The Jaconellis’ flat is the subject of a compulsory purchase order by the council.

Naturally, they don’t want to leave the home they have lived in for 34 years and now own outright. Mrs Jaconelli’s feisty resistance must endear her to all of us whose natural instinct is to take the side of the underdog in the face of corporate clout or against a public body failing in its duty to act fairly and reasonably. Having lost an appeal against a sheriff’s ruling that the council can evict her, she and her family have barricaded themselves in.

Unlike householders on land adjoining Donald Trump’s golf course in Aberdeenshire, who have gained assurances the tycoon will not ask the council to take out compulsory purchase orders on their homes, the stand-off between the couple and the council is not as simple a David and Goliath battle as it first appears. Mrs Jaconelli turned down the offer of £30,000 for her flat because it would not be sufficient to buy another. That is true but neighbours who took the offer when it was first made gained a sizeable deposit which enabled them to buy a better house.

The council has since increased its offer to £90,000 but Mrs Jaconelli was not satisfied because it compared poorly with compensation paid to property developers. The couple spend £5000 a year on heating their two-bedroom flat as a result of the condition of the building. A letter submitted to the court from their doctor says both are suffering from stress due to their housing circumstances and a move would improve their health. It surely is now in her interest to take the money on offer and move. [???!!!]

Nevertheless, the council must be held to account. The success or failure of the Games must be judged as much on the legacy as on the sporting festival, attendance figures and income generated. Improved health and wealth for ithe community are part of the deal.

It is not only the sanctity of people’s homes that must be respected. Instead of demolishing the stones and structure of the community, a new sense of purpose and pride in the east end of Glasgow would be better achieved by building on them.

Vote Margaret Jaconelli!

Eviction protestor bids for move to Holyrood

23 Mar 2011

A GRANDMOTHER embroiled in a bitter eviction battle over plans to demolish her home to make way for the Commonwealth Games athletes’ village is to stand for the Scottish Parliament.

Margaret Jaconelli, 52, said yesterday she would contest May’s poll on a platform of fighting for a fair legacy for Glasgow after the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

She will put up a £500 deposit raised by supporters of her bid to remain in her home.

The announcement came as she remained barricaded in her tenement in the Dalmarnock area of the city after being served with an eviction notice by Glasgow City Council on Friday.

Mrs Jaconelli urged the council to delay moving in until after polling day on May 5 as she plans to designate the home as her campaign headquarters in the six-week run up to the election.

The would-be politician and her husband, Jack, also 52, are the only remaining residents in a now-derelict block of flats in Ardenlea Street, which is set to be demolished to make way for a 52-hectare athletes’ village.

She said: “Before now, I had never dreamed of entering the world of politics. But then I realised I have been locked in a political battle with this council for the past eight years.

“They want to steal my home from me and my family but I have had neither the power not political platform to take them on.

“That changes now. Hopefully, with the support of the Glasgow people, I can highlight the disgraceful way our community has been treated in the name of these Games.

“It is not about me. I am aware of many examples where this council has bulldozed the rights of its citizens. People have been coming to me recently asking for help.

“I would ask the council to respect the fact that my home is now my campaign headquarters and remove the threat of eviction until after the vote.”

A source close to Mrs Jaconelli said she was completing paperwork for her candidacy ahead of next Tuesday’s deadline for entries. He added that she he planned to submit the forms in person at the City Chambers.

He added that she was currently seeking advice on whether to stand as a list MSP or in a particular seat, and remained undecided.

Dozens of Mrs Jaconelli’s supporters continued to hold a vigil outside the property throughout yesterday, with many sleeping in their cars overnight.

However, a council spokesman said their “position had not changed” and the eviction was still on track despite being more than four days past its original deadline.

The family’s lawyer, Mike Dailly said he did not believe citing the flat as a campaign headquarters would stop it being demolished.

He said he will now take the fight to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Mr Dailly said: “I don’t feel we can go any further within UK law. We have taken this appeal to Europe. We do believe this is a violation of their human rights.”

The council has been granted a compulsory purchase order on the property. Mrs Jaconelli’s last appeal to the Court of Session was rejected on Thursday, and an eviction notice was issued next day.

However, the council failed to go through with the removal, citing fears for the safety of young children inside the house, which has been barricaded.

The council has offered £90,000 compensation to the couple. They have no mortgage but say after legal fees and other costs they would not be able to buy another property in Glasgow outright.

Games organisers "failed to meet dozens of targets"

Evening Times:

Salmond called in to Games row

21 Mar 2011

First Minister Alex Salmond has been asked to explain why Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games organisers have failed to meet dozens of targets.

Liberal Democrat MSP Robert Brown said the missed milestones were “extremely worrying”.

The 2014 Games are being run by Glasgow 2014 Ltd, known as the Organising Committee, along with Scottish Government and city council funders.

A draft of the committee’s latest business plan, leaked to our sister paper the Sunday Herald, shows 46 milestones have not been met. Dates were put back over a year, or reprofiled as “to be confirmed”.

A “ceremonies strategic plan”, due in January, had not yet been published, while the date on the accommodation plan had slipped by nine months.

A logistics strategic plan missed its completion date of June last year, and an anti doping scheme milestone went by the wayside.

Mr Brown raised the issue at First Minister’s Questions, but did not get the answers he wanted. Now, in a letter to Mr Salmond, the former deputy education minister has asked for a detailed reply, saying: “The level of delays and slippage indicated, seem to me to be extremely worrying.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said the Games “remain on track and on budget”, a comment echoed by the Organising Committee.

Meanwhile, a couple facing eviction to make way for the Games village have fortified their Dalmarnock flat against bids to take it over.

Margaret and her husband Jack, both 52, lost a legal fight to stay in their home.

Margaret Jaconelli secures 2014 Games eviction hearing

BBC Online:

She is the last remaining resident in a block of flats at Ardenlea Street

A woman whose home is to be demolished to make way for the 2014 Commonwealth Games has secured a last-minute hearing at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

Margaret Jaconelli, a 52-year-old grandmother, is due to be evicted from her flat in Dalmarnock, Glasgow, later after losing an appeal last week.

Her application to take the case to the Court of Session was then refused by Glasgow Sheriff Court.

However, on Wednesday, her lawyer managed to secure the 1000 GMT hearing.

Mrs Jaconelli was told earlier this week that she could appeal the compensation awarded to her through the Lands Tribunal but the eviction scheduled for Thursday afternoon would not be postponed.

She is the last remaining resident in a block of flats at Ardenlea Street.

'Fingers crossed'

Glasgow City Council was granted a compulsory purchase order for the two-bedroom property.

Mrs Jaconelli said the £30,000 initially offered for her home, which she has lived in for 34 years, was not enough to buy another property.

The city council said the district valuer had since increased the offer to £90,000.

Mrs Jaconelli said: "I am keeping my fingers crossed that I still have a roof over my head by Thursday night.

"Me and my family have worked all our lives for what we have.

"I still maintain that this council is trying to steal my house from me."

Games "on track"

Don't worry, everything's fine:

BBC Online

Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games on track - director

Scotstoun is one of the venues that will be used in the 2014 Games

Director Gordon Arthur has responded to claims that Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games has missed deadlines by insisting preparations are "on track."

Recent press reports suggested that milestones in the build-up to the event had not been met.

"We've not missed 50 milestones, we have re-phased," said Arthur.

"We are from the organising committee's planning point of view and the Games partners' delivery of infrastructure programme, in a very good place."

Arthur insisted the organising committee was keen to ensure that public money was being spent responsibly and at the right time.

"We've got huge support from the media right across Scotland," he told BBC Radio Scotland's Sport Nation programme.

"One is always going to get the occasional articles where people take a different stance.

"A year ago, when we put together our business plan, we set out largely based on the guidance that we get from the knowledge transfer system that's run by the Commonwealth Games Federation.

"Remember, we were only about 20 people in the organising committee a year ago. We set out a programme of work, but most of what we've been doing during the year, as well as recruiting people, is understanding better the task that we've got to do and a huge amount of that understanding and knowledge transfer takes you to re-phasing your work.

All the infrastructure build that's going on in Scotland, which is much, much smaller but nevertheless very impressive programme, is absolutely on track Gordon Arthur

"So we haven't missed milestones, we've re-phased a lot of our work and the reason we do that is to make sure we don't recruit people any earlier than we need to, or spend money any earlier than we need to.

"We're very conscious we're publicly funded in the main and we want to spend that money very, very wisely."

The build-up to the Delhi Games in 2010 was beset with problems in terms of getting facilities ready on time and Arthur admits that the Glasgow organising committee cannot afford to keep "re-phasing" right up until the event itself.

"Clearly that would not be helpful, but it's all about understanding better where we are and what we're doing," added Arthur.

"Since we came back from Delhi, we've done about two thirds of our very detailed functional area strategies.

"We now have a really detailed understanding of the complexity of the programme and all the interdependencies that lie between the different aspects of the programme.

"We are on track, we are on budget and we are very happy, as are the Commonwealth Games Federation, with where we are at this point in time.

"The big challenge Delhi had is they took on an enormous programme of building. It wasn't just the venues, they were building new metro systems, new roads, new railways - it was a colossal programme of infrastructure build they took on.

"All the infrastructure build that's going on in Scotland, which is much, much smaller but nevertheless very impressive programme, is absolutely on track.

"The facilities are largely due to be open two years before the Games and will be used by concerts and sporting events.

"The M74 (extension) is due to open this year. The Airdrie-Bathgate rail line's already open."

Another shocker!

As hard as it may be to believe, it appears that the "legacy projects" for the Commonwealth Games may be disappearing up in smoke. Who would've thunk it? Imagine - a government spends a huge amount of money on a project that will only benefit contractors, developers, etc, after telling everyone there would be huge gains for the people. Well, it would never happen in Glasgow!

Ok, of course it will. And London too. As this blog has pointed out time and time again, "mega-events" like the Commonwealth Games never deliver gains for the ordinary person. It's a con game.

BBC News:

Cash fears over 2014 Commonwealth Games legacy

(Clockwise from top left) Cycling image, games logo, boxing image, National Indoor Sports Arena image and aerial view before construction

Plans to leave a "golden" economic legacy from Glasgow's 2014 Commonwealth Games are "under real threat" because of funding cuts, it has been claimed.

Clyde Gateway said cash earmarked for it, and five other urban regeneration companies, was being slashed by 46%.

It claims this will jeopardise redevelopment plans for Glasgow's east end which will be home to the games.

Fund givers Scottish Enterprise said it had had to look closely at future priorities.

Clyde Gateway is one of six urban regeneration firms in Scotland charged with delivering "focused, integrated strategies" to turn around run-down communities.

All six receive funding from the Scottish government and its main economic development agency, Scottish Enterprise.

Clyde Gateway said it had been given "a ballpark figure of just over £18m as a combined level of support for 2011/12 from the Scottish government and Scottish Enterprise but no indication of support for 2012 and beyond".

It claimed Scottish Enterprise had made a 46% cut in support to all six urban regeneration firms in 2011/12.

The agency said that it had been "anticipating" £7.5m from Scottish Enterprise on the basis of a "legal agreement" but had now been told it would share £6.8m with the other five urban regeneration firms.

In a statement, Clyde Gateway said: "We now have less resources that we had been led to believe from previous discussions and from statements made by government ministers that Clyde Gateway was a national priority given the nature of our work and our efforts to assist with the delivery of a true legacy from the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

"As such, it is going to be a huge challenge to maintain the momentum we have built up over the last three years and it will also be tremendously difficult to plan ahead for meaningful long-term regeneration and development.

"We are currently looking at the different options open to us, but it would be accurate to say that some of the longer-term economic development projects we saw as being key to success are in jeopardy."

Clyde Gateway's Jim Clark said that the funding indicated by Scottish Enterprise amounted to "a substantial cut".

Derelict sites

He told BBC News Online Scotland: "While the Commonwealth Games and main venues are not in any danger, the legacy from the games is, with many of the regeneration goals in Glasgow's east end under real threat."

Mr Clark said proposals to bring derelict sites into use and make the area around the M74 extension more attractive were now in jeopardy.

A spokeswoman for Scottish Enterprise said: "In common with all other public sector organisations, we have had to look closely at our priorities for next year to ensure that we're investing in those areas that will have the biggest impact possible on Scotland's economic performance.

"The Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 offers enormous opportunities and we recognise that we need to invest now if we are to fully exploit these opportunities for the benefit of Scotland.

"In recognition of this and of the important contribution that urban regeneration companies make to the Scottish economy, we have agreed to invest £6.8m to support their activity in 2011/12.

"This is in addition to funding from the Scottish government and the combined investment will ensure that they have access to more than £25m in 2011/12."

Games Monitor: "Shame Games"

From Games Monitor:

On Tuesday 28th September (yesterday), Margaret Jaconelli was given 48 hours to leave her premises before being evicted.

Margaret has vowed to fight on for a fair deal rather than accept the risible £30,000 she has been offered for her two-bedroom tenement home. Margaret has lodged a court appeal, but in case this isn’t successful, many have pledged to support her on friday when the baillifs are due.

The media is finally beginning to take notice, and Margaret is getting her chance to speak out to a wider public. The Sun carried the story today, with Margaret responding to the £30,000 valuation:

“Where can I buy anything in Glasgow for that?

“All I’m doing is fighting for a home that my husband has worked hard for. I will appeal. I am not for giving up my home.”

BBC News also reported the story in a little more depth, though not entirely accurately (Margaret lives in a tenement, not a ‘tower block’). They quote from a statement Margaret read to the court:

“We’re being told that properties are being pulled down for regeneration but it’s more like degeneration.

“Communities have disappeared and friendships have been lost by the council pulling down large parts of the east end so that it is now reminiscent of Beirut.”

She said she was the “sole survivor of a council policy to raze Dalmarnock to the ground”.

“I’m just a wee person from the east end of Glasgow and all I’m doing is fighting for a home that my husband has worked hard for for 34 years.

“They’re stealing my property after us working so hard for it.”

She also added that she would have difficulty buying her family a “tent or an outside toilet” with the compensation the council are offering.

We totally support Margaret’s struggle for a fair deal. But this isn’t just about one individual. Large-scale regeneration companies and local authorities are increasingly aiming to use compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) to pursue property development strategies.

Running down an area makes it more profitable to invest in as land and rent prices are devalued, meaning that when new investment arrives it becomes possible to extract healthy profits from an area - especially if compensation levels are kept artificially low (or not paid at all) for those who will be displaced.

When people wonder why an area has become so run down, they rarely consider that it might be a deliberate operation of land and housing markets. The consequences of that practice are often devastating for local residents in the way of ‘regeneration’, such as the people of Dalmarnock.

Anyone wanting to support Margaret should contact:

gamesmonitor2014@googlemail.com

Delhi Games: 17 times over original budget

There are concerns that building for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, due to start in two months time, may not be complete. And all this, despite the Games being 17 times over-budget! Of course, nothing like that could happen here in Glasgow, now could it...

See more here:

Scots Games chief 'confident' about Delhi event despite claims of delays
Published Date: 04 August 2010
By MARTYN McLAUGHLIN

THE head of Scotland's Commonwealth Games team said he is confident it will be able to "cope with all eventualities" in Delhi amid increasing concerns over infrastructure and corruption.

Jon Doig, chief executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS), said he has been reassured by his counterparts in India that "everything will be ready on time," despite mounting criticism of the event. With just two months to go before the opening ceremony, the final preparations for the 2010 Games have been tarnished by construction problems and claims of financial impropriety.

Despite India's hopes that the Games will showcase its emergence as a global economic power, four venues are still under construction, with others the focus of a row over sub-standard work.

A revised deadline for the Games venues to be handed over to event directors passed on Monday, raising concern that athletes' preparations may be jeopardised.

However, Mr Doig, below, said a CGS support team has visited Delhi on the number of occasions, and is prepared for any problems which may arise.

The Delhi Games is already struggling with a budget that has grown to 17 times the original estimate, while the Indian government has this week urged the organising committee to sack two officials at the centre of corruption allegations.

Reports suggest that construction quality certificates inspected so far had turned out to be fake or "suspect", with ongoing work hampered by the annual monsoon, which has submerged approach roads, waterlogged building sites, and exposed leaks in supposedly finished venues.

Meanwhile, a report from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), a government anti-corruption agency, has identified 16 Games construction projects where large-scale financial irregularities are suspected.The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has asked for clarification amid signs that some venues are already showing signs of construction faults.

"We are concerned about the implication of the CVC report. We have written to the OC (Organising Committee] following the report, basically saying that we need assurances from the venue owners … that all venues are fully compliant with government of India laws," CGF chief executive Mike Hooper said.

"Certainly it is of concern and if there are immediate works that need to be done … they must do it in the next 60 days."

His comments followed warnings from Australia's national field hockey coach Ric Charlesworth that the CGF was "very naive" if it continued to believe the assurances from the Games' organisers.Mr Charlesworth said even if the competition arenas were finished, other preparations would not be completed on time."

My concern is that we will get there and have people stuck on the 15th floor with no working lifts, no air-conditioning, electricity going on and off, no water in the taps and poor sewerage."

But Mr Doig, said he was optimistic that the Games, scheduled to begin on 3 October, will prove a success.

"We are in regular contact with the Delhi 2010 Organising Committee and they continue to assure us that everything will be ready on time," he said.

"It is important at this point that we and our athletes retain our focus, and look at what we can control, rather than worrying about what we can't." He added: "Clearly, as at all Games, there will be operational challenges. However, we are confident we have an excellent support team who have visited Delhi and have the experience to cope with all eventualities."

Corruption claims spark furyAN OFFICIAL report into the corruption allegations threatening to cast a shadow over the Delhi Games makes for grim reading.

The findings by the Central Vigilance Commission, India's top anti-corruption agency, ruled that the event infrastructure is in poor shape due to "large-scale corruption, usage of substandard material and repeated delays".

Some venues have been found to have substandard concrete and steel structures, with loose grilles and wiring. With the Indian government eager to see Games organisers dispose of certain officials, the acrimony has led to the leaking of correspondence from a ministerial department.

The letter from the sports ministry, addressed to Organising Committee chair, Suresh Kalmadi, makes clear the discontent. "With the Games just two months away, (such] matters … raise questions of probity and integrity of officers in the OC." "They tarnish the image of the Games and adversely affect its credibility," it adds.

Media coverage, too, has become increasingly negative as the Games approach.

One Indian news magazine dubbed the event the "Shame Games" while a recent newspaper editorial said it was "in danger of becoming an exhibition of ineptitude and incompetence."

Commonwealth Games "consultation" events taking place in June

From Hidden Glasgow:

Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games consultation events to take place in Glasgow next month

Consultation events looking at the progress being made on Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games venues and facilities and plans for the legacy from the Games will take place at five centres across the city during June.
The events, entitled, ‘The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games - what does it mean for you?’ will be open to members of the public and community groups.
Councillor Archie Graham, Executive Member for the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow City Council, will provide an overview on the work underway across the city to date, in terms of the venues under construction and re-development such as Kelvingrove Lawn Bowls, the National Indoor Sports Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, and plans for the Athletes' Village.
Councillor Graham will also set out the city’s plans and ambitions for how Glasgow will benefit from hosting of the Games and the legacy they will leave behind.
The events will finish with a short workshop session to give people the opportunity to contribute and find out how the Council can help them to get involved in achieving a positive legacy from the Games.

The events are taking place as follows:

• South East Glasgow - Thursday 17 June, 6 - 8pm in Hollybrook School, 135 Hollybrook Street, Govanhill G42 7HU
• North Glasgow - Saturday 19 June, 11am - 1pm at Petershill Park Leisure Centre, 30 Adamswell Street, Springburn G21 4DD
• South West Glasgow - Monday 21 June, 5pm - 7pm in the Palace of Art for Sports Excellence, Bellahouston Park, Bellahouston G41 5BW
• West Glasgow - Thursday 24 June, 5 - 7pm at Scotstoun Stadium, 72 Danes Drive, Scotstoun G14 9HD
• East Glasgow - Friday 25 June, 5pm - 7pm at Dalmarnock Community Centre, 3 Lily Street, Dalmarnock G40 3HE

Councillor Archie Graham, Executive Member for the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow City Council, said: “These events will be the next stage of public consultation on both the preparations for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and its legacy. I look forward to hearing people’s views, and to discussing how much progress has been made in getting venues and facilities ready for the Games. As always with consultation events, I would urge everyone interested to come along.”Those who wish to attend the events must register, and should use the following contact details:

South East: 0141 276 9880 / southeastcpp@glasgow.gov.uk
North: Jennifer Stevenson / jennifer.stevenson@glasgow.gov.uk / 0141 276 9870
South West: 0141 276 9890 / southwestcpp@glasgow.gov.uk
West: 0141 276 9900 / KirstyAnne.Park@glasgow.gov.uk
East: Amanda Ritchie / 0141 276 1785 / amanda.ritchie@csglasgow.org
Information on the facilities at each event or special requirements for attendees will be available through these numbers.

insidethegames.biz: "2014 budget now over half-a-billion pounds"

Glasgow 2014 budget now over half-a-billion pounds

Saturday, 22 May 2010

May 22 - Hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is now predicted to cost more than half a billion pounds, it has been revealed.

A revised balance sheet has put the final total for Glasgow 2014 at more than £523 million ($757 million), more than £150 million ($217 million) over the original bid estimate.

The new figure, which represents the latest in a series of cost increases, was put down to inflation forecasts in the years leading up to the event.

Only six months ago, officials confirmed the budget had risen by £81 million ($117 million) to £454 million ($657 million) as a result of rising broadcasting and legislative costs.

The new figure adds a further £69m ($100 million) to the total.

But John Scott, the chief executive of Glasgow 2014, claimed that the budget remained within what they had originally announced last November.

He said: "The Glasgow 2014 budget remains at £454 million ($657 million) at 2007 prices as announced last November at the budget review.

"As part of the expected follow-up of that review, we have now calculated the projected inflation for each year up to 2014-15.

"The project remains on-budget and on-track to deliver an outstanding Games."

Under the revised budget, the overall operations costs now stand at £193 million ($280 million), with staffing costs in the region of £72 million ($104 million).

The Games will also spend £50 million ($77 million) on communications, and £17 million ($24 million) on marketing and sponsorship.

The Scottish Government is contributing £344 million ($498 million) to Glasgow 2014 with the remainder coming from Glasgow City Council, who are putting in £80 million ($116 million), and commercial income of £100 million ($145 million) raised by the organising committee.

Scott said: "The last 18 months have seen the most significant change to the economy in more than 70 years.

"We now face the challenge of delivering the Commonwealth Games that our Games partners expect during a period of slow recovery from a major economic downturn, with pressure on all public sector and commercial funding budgets."

Shona Robison, Scotland's Minister for Public Health and Sport, said: "The impact of inflation over the next five years does not change the Games budget nor the determination of all those involved to work within that budget."

'No evidence' of Games Benefits

'No evidence' of games benefit

Games organisers hope it will leave a positive legacy for public health

There is no evidence that staging the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will have a positive long-term effect on public health, it has been claimed.

Organisers of the 2014 Glasgow games hope the event will inspire local people to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

But a study funded by the Medical Research Council has found nothing to confirm expectations about the benefits of previous large sporting events.

The research is published in the latest edition of the British Medical Journal.

The study was carried out by researchers at the Glasgow-based Social and Public Health Sciences Unit.

They set out to assess the effects of major sporting events on the health of the host city's population.

Although it will look absolutely marvellous on our high definition TVs, on the ground I don't think we're going to be seeing much of an improvement in the sporting activities of the people of Glasgow Dr Gerry Spence Glasgow GP

Despite reviewing 54 previous studies, their report concluded that the available evidence was "not sufficient to confirm or refute expectations" about the public health impact of large sporting events.

It said: "Future events such as the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, or the 2014 Commonwealth Games, cannot be expected to automatically provide benefits.

"Until decision makers include robust, long-term evaluations as part of their design and implementation of events, it is unclear how the costs of major multi-sport events can be justified in terms of benefits to the host population."

Dr Gerry Spence, a GP in Glasgow's east end where the 2014 games will take place, said it was "a no brainer" that the event would not translate into more sporting activity.

"I think they're going to be portraying sport as an elite activity," he said.

"We're going to see people at the very top of their game who are a completely different shape, and probably colour, from the rest of us.

"Although it will look absolutely marvellous on our high definition TVs, on the ground I don't think we're going to be seeing much of an improvement in the sporting activities of the people of Glasgow."

Glasgow City Council said that it was aware a positive legacy from the games would not occur automatically but was committed to trying to ensure this happened while measuring its success.

Evening Times: "Stadium's steps crumbling after one year"

Of course, the bold and dynamic visionaries at Glasgow City Council and Culture and Sport would never squander public money:

Stadium’s steps crumbling after one year

Catriona Stewart

14 May 2010

Just one year after Glasgow’s showpiece football facilitiy was opened the main entrance is starting to crumble.

Toryglen Regional Football Centre was hailed as a vital bargaining tool in the city’s 2014 Commonwealth Games bid.

But the main access to the centre began to fall apart two months ago – and bosses have still not repaired the steps.

Regulars who use the facility say the fluorescent cones and hazard tape surrounding the entrance are an “embarrassment”.

Tom McQueen, whose seven-a-side team regularly meet at Toryglen, said: “This is meant to be a shining beacon to the rest of the country but having the steps broken for so long is an embarrassment.

“It may seem like a trivial thing but it’s the very first thing visitors see and it’s not exactly subtle, with the cones and the tape.”

Tom’s teammate Kevin Frew, 29, added: “This is an amazing facility and we’re lucky to have it but it doesn’t inspire much confidence when you can’t even get up the front steps.

“It’s only been open a year – you’d think keeping it all in one piece would be a priority.”

When it was opened last April former Scotland manager George Burley said it was the “way forward for Scottish football”. And the £15.7million facility was also praised by football legend Kenny Dalglish.

Toryglen is the first full-size, indoor pitch in Scotland. It was hailed as being a benchmark for other Scottish sport facilities. The centre includes indoor and outdoor pitches and facilities and is part of the Scottish Football Association’s action plan for youth football.

It has a full-size indoor synthetic pitch, a rugby training area and room for 700 spectators. And it features three full-size floodlit synthetic pitches, a full-size grass pitch, a floodlit synthetic five-a-side court and a goalkeepers’ training area. It is expected to be a training location for the 2012 Olympics.

Culture and Sport, which runs the centre, blames the lack of repairs on bad weather.

A spokesman said work cannot be carried out until there is a spell of sunshine. But once repairs can be started they will be paid for by the contractor

A spokesman for Culture and Sport, said: “The repair to the steps requires a sustained period of better weather and will be carried out in the immediate future.

“The cost is covered under the defect liability of the contractor.”