Peter Masson wrote:
"umpston" wrote

Better to negotiate agreement, as Richad Caborn says, and save the time
and legal fees. But if they cannot agree it may be that the CPO
process is the only way to establish what the fair value for these bits
of land should be.

If they cannot agree by negotiation, they can avoid the CPO process by
agreeing to appoint an arbitrator to come up with a fair price, or possibly
by appointing a mediator to help them copme to an agreement. As well as LCR,
there are a lot of small businesses on the Olympic site, some of which own
their premises, and others own leases. They all have to be bought out, and
for some of them finding suitable alternative premises, or even moving or
replacing equipment, presents a real difficulty.


I agree - I am a customer of one of the businesses there and have
previously made the suggestion of building a new industrial estate at
the edge of the Olympic zone for them to move to. Thre is plenty of
room. I am also a supporter of the Olympic project - but Stratford
will still need other jobs and services after the Olympics have come
and gone. An imaginative and sustainable redevelopment of the area
should, in my view, include industrial units to provide employment and
affordable homes for the workers to live in as well as all the
up-market shops and flats.