TODAY sees the birth of a borough as Royal designation is conferred upon Greenwich.

The new royal status, first announced two years ago, will be attained when Leader of the Council, Chris Roberts, and the Mayor of Greenwich, Jim Gillman, travel to Westminster to collect the Royal Charter.

The councillors – expected to attend in morning dress – will receive the Letters Patent in a ceremony with the Head of the Crown Office in the Queen’s Robing Room in the Palace of Westminster.

The council leader, who said this was “undoubtedly” the proudest moment of his career to date, will return to the borough with the charter where it will go on display in Woolwich, Eltham and Greenwich town centres alongside a packed schedule of celebratory events this weekend.

In readiness for the new status, the council has started to replace street signs and has put up banners in Greenwich, Woolwich and Eltham town centres.

“In the course of the last week to ten days, I don’t think we’ve seen anything quite it like in terms of the way in which the public have been embracing what is about to happen. It will be one of the most historic days in our history,” said Chris Roberts at a press conference yesterday.

“The meaning is what you choose to make of it: there’s a tremendous sense of civic pride, ” he added. “Never did I think that a council-arranged procession through Greenwich would have to be capped in terms of numbers by the police because so many people want to engage and join with it.”

He also claimed there would be an economic uplift from the honour, citing as an example the demand that “Royal Greenwich” would create at the soon-to-be built Enderby Wharf cruise terminal. That will be “major driver” in generating knock-on employment and tourism benefits, he said.

The cost of the status

When asked, the council were not able to provide a cost for the adoption of new branding but Chief Executive, Mary Ney, said they would changing over on a “replacement basis”:

“We’re not going out and changing all the street signs and uniforms. We’re doing it on a replacement basis, so as things need to be replaced we will do it with the royal signage. We have done some new signage around the town centres and around the tourism areas as that seemed important. We have allowed the entrance signs into the borough to go into dereliction – they were damaged and old and referred to the Millennium year – and so we are refreshing all of those with the crest.”

Chris Roberts told this website that there won’t be sponsorship of the borough entrance signs, as now can be found on many of Bexley’s signs, but he signalled he wouldn’t rule out such a move in the future.

There’s no timescale for when the whole of the borough can expect new signs and no plans available for what will happen to old signs that are being taken down.

Icing on the cake

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, told Greenwich.co.uk: “Greenwich is a London borough of global significance; the home of time, a Unesco World Heritage Site, not to mention its close links to the Royal Family since the Middle Ages. This royal honour is surely the icing on the cake of a fantastic year for Greenwich as it prepares for a role at the heart of the London Games.”

Weekend of events

Celebrations to mark the event, including music and fireworks, will be taking place later today in Woolwich, tomorrow in Eltham and finally in Greenwich town centre on Sunday.

The celebrations also coincide with the arrival of the King’s Troop in Woolwich on Friday night. The newly-arrived troop will be performing a procession through Woolwich on Tuesday morning.

DETAILED plans for the hosting of London 2012 events in Greenwich Park won the backing of councillors last night.

The Planning Board voted to support the application from Locog who were submitting details of how they plan to deliver the equestrian events in Greenwich Park.

A new picture was revealed (see above) showing how organisers think the temporary stadium in the park will look. Locog also disclosed that on cross country day – the busiest day of the equestrian events – there will be a total of 50,000 ticketed spectators at the venue, a figure scaled down from previous estimates.

Concerns were raised by critics about the pruning of trees in Greenwich Park, the positioning of security lighting down the Maze Hill side of the park and about the restoration of the Circus Field, which will be used as a service area.

Greenwich West councillor and Deputy Mayor, David Grant, spoke – as a resident – in favour of the application but said he would to see donkey rides retained by the gates of Greenwich Park, and also suggested that Locog “grass over” Duke Humphrey Road as a legacy project.

Locog said grassing over the road would be an expensive project but they are in discussions regarding the fate of the donkey rides at games time.

Councillor Steve Offord said he was “perfectly satisfied” with the details, although he did add that the travel plans were “badly in need of review”.

Cllr Dermot Poston voted against the original application and remained unconvinced: “All that equestrian and entertainment junk is just a travesty of the Greenwich Park I’ve known all my life,” he said.

Councillor Denise Hyland was more positive: “I think these are going to be absolutely iconic pictures of our park and they are going to be beamed around the world, making Greenwich even more famous than it already is,” she said.

The Planning Board voted in favour of the application by a majority of 4-2.

Listen to London 2012 Greenwich Park Venue Manager, Jeremy Edwards, reacting to the decision:

North Greenwich Arena plans on display

Later on today, a drop in session will open at Ravensbourne College where London 2012 organisers will explain their transport plans for North Greenwich.

The O2 arena will be renamed as the North Greenwich Arena and a shuttle bus service will get ticket-holders to the venue from Charlton railway station.

Bars and restaurants inside the O2 will remain open throughout the games, although non-Olympic visitors will have to travel through the same queues and security as spectators. Commuter parking, managed by AEG, will be remain open throughout the games.

London 2012 organisers have put together their plans without mention of the under-development cable car, but they say if it’s completed by the games, they will be prepared for it.

London 2012 Drop-in sessions at Ravensbourne College
Friday 27th – Noon – 8pm
Saturday 28th – 10am – 4pm

THE LEADER of Greenwich Council, Chris Roberts, challenged a member of the public to stop spreading “rumours” of wrong-doing about him last night.

The dramatic exchange took place during public questions at the full meeting of the council at Woolwich Town Hall.

Babubhai Master, a constituent in Cllr Roberts’ Glyndon ward, has repeatedly laid down written questions about the council’s relationship with a property developer over the last year.

Mr Master, who this website understands is a member of the local Labour Party and stood as a candidate for the council in 1982, complained to the mayor that he had not been allowed to raise in his written question whether there was a conflict of interest in the Leader of the Council’s purchase of a property from a developer in the borough.

“I will have to go somewhere else to ask the questions,” he told the mayor.

At this, the Leader of the Council stood up to raise a point of order:

“He is referring to my purchase of a property.

“If he believes, and if he has any cause to believe, that there is anything incorrect with the purchase of my property there are several courses of action open to him. He can report it to the Chief Executive, to the District Auditor or to the Police and I challenge him now publicly to do all three and stop this nonsense once and for all.

“What he is doing is suggesting is that I behave in a certain way which I certainly do not. So I would actually ask him to raise those questions directly with the Chief Executive, the District Auditor and the Police. Stop the rumour, stop the innuendo and let charges be laid if there are any so that they can be properly answerered.”

A NEW serviced office centre has opened for business in North Greenwich.

The new business centre is based on the 8th floor of the 6 Mitre Passsage building, close to the Thames cable car development.

The offices are being operated by fast-growing serviced office company, i2 Office, who have already established similar business centres in the City of London and other cities around the UK.

Speaking to offices.org.uk, i2 Office CEO Philip Grace said:

“I think the opportunity to trail-blaze and have a serviced office in this location appealed because there are a number of serviced offices in Canary Wharf but by coming here, we are not competing head to head with Canada Tower and we’re able to deliver in an environment which is slightly different.

He said he is hoping to attract  “new start ups, established businesses, SMEs and blue chips.” As well as office space, the new centre also offers meeting rooms for hire and virtual addresses.

Read full interview with offices.org.uk

This office overlooks the cable car and the Thames Barrier.

Jupiter with Io and Ganymede, September 2010 © Damian Peach (UK)

THE ROYAL Observatory in Greenwich has started its annual search for the astronomy photographer of the year.

A top prize of £1,500 is on offer for the overall winner with smaller prizes available to individual category winners.

Entries close on June 29th and winning entries will be exhibited at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park. Last year’s winners, including the overall winner by Damian Peach of Jupiter and two of its moons, (shown above) are currently on display.

Dr Marek Kukula, Public Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich and judge in the competition said: “Astronomy is becoming increasingly popular with the public which is reflected in the big rise in entries we saw in 2011. Every year the competition has brought new surprises, I love the fact that we receive entries from people all around the world and from complete beginners as well as seasoned experts. All the judges are excited about what we’re going to see this time around.”

Click here to find out how to enter

The observatory, now under the new Royal Museums Greenwich umbrella, is also running an astrophotography course for beginners during February and March.

THE OWNERS of a chinese restaurant in Greenwich have been fined £54,000 for breaching food hygiene rules.

In addition to the fine – the largest ever given to a Greenwich business – the owners of Peninsula restaurant in Bugsby’s Way will have to pay £2,600 costs and have been banned from running a food business.

The punishment was handed down by Judge Byers at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday after the owners, Crestdane Limited, pleaded to guilty to 18 food safety breaches.

Greenwich.co.uk reported in February 2010 that the restaurant had been fined £13,500 for its poor standard of hygiene.

In April 2011, the restaurant was temporarily closed again after council officers carried out an unannounced inspection and found more evidence of a mouse infestation, including droppings near food, plates and even inside a roll of cling film.

Councillor Maureen O’Mara, Greenwich Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Environment said: “I applaud the verdict in this case and welcome the additional sanction that bans the owners from running a food business in the future.

“The hygiene conditions at this restaurant were an absolute disgrace. The key priority seemed to be placing profits over offering good quality food by operating with a blatant disregard for the health of their customers. We have tried to support the restaurant to clean up its act, but they have consistently failed to do so.”

The punishment for the restaurant came just days before Chinese new year, and when Greenwich.co.uk checked this weekend, the restaurant was open and trading.

MAYOR of London, Boris Johnson, has announced that he would like a new tunnel built under the Thames within the next decade.

He used a speech to London government leaders on Thursday night to confirm his support for the “Silvertown link” and said he would like to see it built within ten years.

The tunnel from Greenwich Peninsula across to the Royal Docks would have a capacity of up to 2,400 vehicles per hour in each direction. Transport for London will begin consultations on the scheme as early as next month.

The mayor also confirmed his support for a new ferry service between Beckton and Gallions Reach and said he’d like to see it delivered by 2017.

The crossing at Silvertown and the Gallion’s Reach ferry both featured in a TFL document published in 2009 that put forward plans for future river crossings.

The Mayor of London said: “When I look at London I see a city of incredible potential and tonight I will make the case for a huge new phase of investment in the capital, including a major new river crossing east of Tower Bridge.

“We are in the right time zone, speak the right language and have the young, skilled population to continue to attract investment from the world’s greatest businesses. This is not a time for London to falter it is a time for London to flourish.”

Shortly after coming to office, Johnson scrapped plans for the Thames Gateway Bridge.

Nick Raynsford: Plans are “Too little, too late”

Greenwich and Woolwich MP, Nick Raynsford, says the Silvertown link is “very welcome” but has attacked the mayor’s “deathbed repentance” on river crossings. He commented:

“Just months before an election, Boris Johnson has effectively admitted the catastrophic error he made in 2008 by cancelling the Thames Gateway Bridge Scheme. His deathbed repentance on the need for new river crossings is too little and too late.

“While the Silvertown link is very welcome and will help to relieve the acute congestion which frequently affects the Blackwall Tunnel, the Mayor’s proposals for a ferry at Gallions Reach is an unsatisfactory alternative for the Thames Gateway Bridge.

“It also poses serious questions about the future of the existing Woolwich Ferry. Will this continue as a free service, or will it be subject to tolls or possible closure under the Mayor’s proposals?”

“More traffic and more pollution”

Environmentalists have hit out at the plans to build a new road crossing. Friends of the Earth’s London Campaigner Jenny Bates said:

“A new road tunnel and car ferry will bring misery to Londoners by creating more noise, more traffic and more pollution.

“If Boris Johnson wants to keep his pledge to make London the world’s greenest capital his transport policy needs to go in a different direction.”

See also: 853: Boris sacrifices Greenwich to win votes in Bexley