Lutfur Rahman, the executive mayor of Tower Hamlets, said the Olympic organisers had acted unlawfully and “failed to adhere to the spirit of the original bid which sought to showcase east London, including the East End”. “We’re concerned that Tower Hamlets will be little more than a glorified thoroughfare between the City of London and the Olympic Park,” he said.
Tower Hamlets Council is challenging London Olympic chiefs in the High Court over their decision to re-route the 2012 marathon away from the East End. This unprecedented move could see the High Court order London 2012 back to the drawing board.
Tower Hamlets Council believes that Lord Coe’s 2012 organising committee is guilty of an “abuse of power” in switching the route of the men’s and women’s races to central London. The council also states London 2012 has broken a “clear, unambiguous and unqualified” promise contained within formal documents.
It was decided in 2005 when the capital won the right to host the Games, to finish both races in the Olympic stadium in Stratford. The council’s legal team believes it has grounds to challenge London 2012’s decision that it would have been logistically impossible to finish the race in the Olympic stadium.
Olympic organisers state that a central route, starting with a loop of St James’s Park followed by three circuits past landmarks such as St Paul’s Cathedral and the London Eye, will be better for spectators and ease the pressure on transport.
This decision has left Tower Hamlets one of the five host boroughs without a single competition. Motorist will also be banned extensively from the 60-mile Olympic route to ensure Olympics officials and athletes do not get stuck in traffic. Drivers will face £200 fines for entering the network of 500 roads during the Games.