Eton Losing out on Olympic Visitor Revenue as Spectators Park & Ride in Ascot

9.56.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 8th Apr 2009

Eton is likely to miss out on its share of revenue from the Olympic games as visitors to the Olympic rowing venue are kept well away by the travel plans being put in place by the Conservative Council and The Olympic Delivery Agency.

Up to 25,000 spectators are expected for the main event between July 27 and August 4 and visitor numbers will also soar when the canoeing events take place between August 6 and 11 and the Paralympic rowing and canoeing between September 1 and Setember 3. However according to comments by Eton's Mayor, reported in the Windsor Advertiser [ http://www.windsorlibdems.org.uk/articles/000050/olympics_2012_eton_could_lose_out.html ], Eton businesses could well miss out on all this visitor revenue despite the event being just a couple of miles away.

Councillors have been told that Dorney Lake can expect about 5,000 Olympic competitors, trainers and officials during the training period in July, 2012, but with the competitors staying at Royal Holloway College at Englefield Green and spectators using Park & Ride facilities at Ascot Racecourse and Upton Court, Slough no-one will go through Eton.

The town's Mayor, Councillor Philip Highy is reported as saying: "If we are not careful Eton is going to lose out despite having an international world renowned event on its doorstep.

"The way it is being planned it seems poor old Eton is not going to benefit at all."

The Lib Dems had previously planned to use the Olympic Legacy to provide a Park & Ride Scheme for Windsor & Eton, however plans for a 2100 space Park & Ride, funded by the South East Regional Assembly and the Olympic Delivery Agency, were cancelled by the new Conservative leadership of the council in November 2007. [ http://www.windsorlibdems.org.uk/pages/m4pandr.html ]

In 2007 Eton's Conservative Councillor led the campaign against the M4 Park & Ride, organising his own on-line petition, complete with signatures from Szczecin in Poland and Melbourne, Australia!

He remains unrepentent about his actions which have harmed his ward's interests, condemning Eton residents to ongoing traffic and Eton businesses to less custom - a recent post on his Web Log (Blog) described the plans as "loony".

The plans brought forward at the council by his Conservative Colleague, might perhaps justify this accolade, the Lib Dems want alternative, workable plans to be developed for the Park & Ride.