OVER £80,000 has so far been spent in the rebranding of Greenwich as a royal borough.

The figures were revealed last night in a written answer at the full meeting of Greenwich Council.

New borough boundary signs cost £21,800, although the council says the previous signs were “dilapidated” and their replacement was delayed until the new royal borough status was bestowed to make the change “as cost effective as possible.”

Royal borough banners on lampposts in the town centres cost £41,400 to install and £19,000 has been spent on replacing street signs in selected areas.

The three nights of fireworks that took place to mark the occasion cost £32,500 to stage, although an undisclosed amount was contributed towards this by sponsors.

Freedom of the Royal Borough

Councillors have agreed to hold special meetings later this month where the Freedom of the Borough will be awarded to Neville Lawrence OBE and Doreen Lawrence OBE, parents of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence.

The honour will also be given to the Duke of Edinburgh, who is also Baron Greenwich, Judy Smith MBE, George Reynolds OBE and Father Michael Scanlon.

Previous recipients who were given the award by the London Borough of Greenwich will be invited to accept the re-affirmation of their Freedom of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

This video to mark the celebrations was published by the council.

COUNCILLORS voted through a budget at a full meeting of the council last night which will see council tax frozen again.

It’s the fifth consecutive year that council tax has been frozen in the borough.

In presenting the budget, the Leader of the Council, Cllr Chris Roberts, said there remained “ticking time-bombs” and warned that government policies on housing benefit caps would see many families moving to Greenwich from other boroughs, adding pressure to local services.

He lashed out at cuts by the government, describing the Conservatives as “vicious, nasty and spiteful.” Their Lib Dem coalition partners were “spineless,” he added.

The Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Spencer Drury, said Cllr Roberts was too focussed on Westminster politics and had “taken his eye off the ball” in Greenwich.

Cllr Drury called on the council to drop parking charges on the borough’s high streets and reduce what it spent on full time union employees.

The full council meeting at Woolwich Town Hall was the first since the borough was bestowed with royal status.

Light at the end of the foot tunnel

It was revealed at the meeting that the lifts in Greenwich Foot Tunnel should be operational by the end of March. The council has replaced the main contractor on the refurbishment “following severe delays to the programme.”

Cllr Denise Hyland, in charge of regeneration, said the cleaning of the tunnel’s interior walls would be the last thing to be done and she expected it to look “splendid” upon completion.

A SET of Olympic rings were towed down the Thames this afternoon to mark 150 days until the start of the games.

The structure, 11m tall and 25m wide, was towed down river, stopping for photo opportunities at the Old Royal Naval College, the O2 and the Thames Barrier before turning around and heading back.

The rings, which are reported to have cost more than £930,000, sailed through the lifted Tower Bridge at lunch time and reached Greenwich shortly before 3pm.

They were launched on their journey by London mayor, Boris Johnson, who used the occasion to announce a series of free cultural events in London this summer.

He said:

“From museums to theatre, and music to design, we have a reputation that is second to none and London’s finest artists and organisations are producing an exceptional range of brand new cultural events that will add to the excitement of hosting the Games.

“We’re creating the biggest festival of outdoor arts ever to be seen in the capital, as well as fantastic new work that will throw new light on some of our city’s lesser known landmarks and hidden gems. Wherever you are you will feel a part of the 2012 celebrations and experience a summer like no other in one of the most exciting cities on earth.'”

More photos from the Olympic rings on the Thames:

The rings passing the Thames Barrier

The rings stop in front of the the Old Royal Naval College

Two members of the King’s Troop were at the Old Royal Naval College as the rings arrived

THE COUNCIL’S vision for how Greenwich Peninsula might look in the future has been unveiled.

A “masterplan” has been put out for consultation, and would help guide developments on the western side of Greenwich Peninsula for years to come.

The document looks at ways the potential for undeveloped land on the western side of the peninsula can be unlocked.

A standout feature of the plans, first revealed by 853, is a new multi-use entertainment complex with a capacity of 40,000.

The complex could also include an integrated university faculty and the document also suggests a dedicated sporting facility, such as a new permanent home for the Soccerdome and possibly one of the large structures that has been built for the shooting events on Woolwich Common.

The document says: “The huge potential of the site lies in its riverside location with spectacular views over Canary Wharf to the north east and Greenwich, the World Heritage site, to the south.”

You can see the masterplan in full here – a consultation on the plans will remain open until March 9th.

The plans, along with a consultation, can be seen in person at presentations this afternoon and on Saturday morning at the Forum.

Masterplans have also been published for Eltham Town Centre, Charlton Riverside and Woolwich Town Centre.