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Greenwich news and information

Council Responds to A2 Business Concerns

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Greenwich Council has reacted to concerns from businesses affected by the continued roadworks on the A2 in Blackheath which are due to carry on until the end of April.

They have written to the Royal Parks Agency to request extended opening hours for drivers through the Greenwich Park, as was suggested in the comments section on Andrew Gilligan’s article about the traffic chaos. Critics may wonder why such arrangements weren’t put in place before the works started.

The council is also encouraging businesses to apply for a temporary reduction in business rates and is reminding them that there are opportunities for free advertising in the council’s Greenwich Time publication.

Council leader Chris Roberts said: “The impact of the closure of the A2 has undoubtedly affected the local community. Business-owners have contacted us about their concerns and we are working closely with them to identify what we can do to reduce the effects of the road closure.”

Lord Coe Responds To Greenwich Critics

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Seb Coe has written an article for the Telegraph in which he attempts to rebut the “myths” propogated by a “vocal minority” concerning the use of Greenwich Park as an Olympic venue.

The Locog chairman says one of the reasons for choosing Greenwich is that the location enables equestrian competitors to feel part of the games and not be detached from the main events as they have often been in previous games although he seems a little less concerned about the sailing teams who will be based in Weymouth.

He acknowledges that there might not be a “bricks and mortar” legacy but asserts that “having the equestrian events at Badminton or Burghley is not necessarily going to put one more child on a horse”.

Responding to claims that the park could be closed for a year, he says that constructions of the arena will begin in the park in April 2012 although critics will point out that he neglects to mention the test event planned for 2011. He refers to local residents as “partners” in the project and says there will be full public consultations as formal planning permission is sought.

Read the article for yourself – do you find Lord Coe’s arguments convincing?

New Look Opens Greenwich Store

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Fashion retailer, New Look, has opened a new store at the Greenwich Peninsular Retail Park off Bugsby’s Way.

Having started in 1969, New Look is one of the largest clothes shop chains in the UK and has a total of 590 branches internationally.  Whilst other clothing retailers have suffered in the downturn, New Look seems to be doing quite well, recently boasting of an increase in sales which its chief executive, Carl McPhail, attributes to its “core fashion and value credentials”.

The new Greenwich branch opened for business on Thursday 12th March. Find out more at www.newlook.co.uk

Hat tip to the Greenwich Gazette for spotting the opening.

Daily Photo 13/03/09: Red Nose Day at Thomas Tallis

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This picture seems like an apt one for today’s Daily Photo – pupils from Thomas Tallis school raising money for Red Nose Day. In the picture are Elizabeth McQuillan, Raihan Muhannd, Abby McSweeney and Paige Andrews. Students at the school paid £1 each to take part in non-school uniform day, with the only rule being that they wore something red.

Find out more about Red Nose Day 09

New Bike Shop Coming To Greenwich

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A new bike shop will be opening up in Creek Road in the first week of April. Cycles UK, an independent chain with 16 branches around the South East, will be opening up for business on the 4th April and will be stocking a wide selection of brands including Specialized, Trek, Marin, Wilier, Cube and Pashley alongside a great range of kids & BMX bikes, clothing and accessories.

They are also planning a pilot programme to offer courtesy bikes to customers whilst their own bikes are being serviced or repaired. Cycles UK is actively encouraging feedback from cyclists about what they would like from the shop, so if you have any comments, check out their new blog which shows progress with the store as it nears completion.

Monopoly Competition: Blue Squares

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Apologies for the delay in getting the next round of our Greenwich Monopoly competition up. This time we’re looking at the blue squares, which in the original UK version were represented by Pentonville Road, Angel and Euston Road.

To enter, and get a chance to win a Greenwich Monopoly set, simply reply below with your Greenwich equivalents for these squares. Usual rules apply – a will be picked on Friday.

See the Competition homepage to see which streets have already been taken.