• Question by: Neil Garratt
• Meeting date: 07 March 2024

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Thank you. I will now take questions from Members. Each Group has a remaining amount of time for these two sessions to ask questions. The first question to be asked is from Assembly Member Garratt, please. Neil Garratt AM: Afternoon. It is a shame we were not told about the time pressures because our meeting is taking as long as it would have taken on the clock, and we perhaps could have swapped the two sessions over if we had had some warning. Anyway, that is water under the bridge. My question, I suppose, is about...

• Reference: 2024/4378
• Question by: Chair, London Assembly
• Meeting date: 07 March 2024

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): We now move on to the next item of business, a question-and-answer session with the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC). Joining us in the Chamber we have David Lunts, who is the Chief Executive of the OPDC. Welcome. There will be a lead-off question from myself as Chair to him and Assembly Members may then put supplementary questions. Please could I ask Assembly Members to be brief with their questions? Mr Lunts, if you can be succinct in your answers, I would appreciate that. I will first take an answer from Mr Lunts...

• Question by: Andrew Boff
• Meeting date: 07 March 2024

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): One more question leading on from that. One of the things that we debated over the many years of the MDC is about the problem of the cliff edge, of there being development inside the Olympic Park but that not being reflected outside the Park. You have touched on that sustainable nature. What are we doing to ensure that the cliff edge does not exist? I am talking in a month where you go on about the great successes of the Olympic Park and in that same month small businesses at Stratford Market Village are being...

• Question by: Joanne McCartney
• Meeting date: 07 March 2024

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Thank you. Assembly Member McCartney, please. Joanne McCartney AM: Thank you. Let me start by adding my thanks as well. We are in a very different place than we were eight years ago. I want to ask a question about fairness. One of the challenges always with a big development like this is how local people can benefit from it both socially and economically as well. The original convergence agenda had quite mixed - and quite disappointing, to be honest with you - results, but in 2022 you signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mayor...

• Question by: Unmesh Desai
• Meeting date: 07 March 2024

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Thank you very much. The next question is going to be in the name of Assembly Member Desai, please? Unmesh Desai AM: Thank you, Chair. Good morning, panel. Firstly, Lord Hendy, can I thank you and your team, including my ex-Newham Council colleague Paul Brickell [Executive Director of Regeneration and Community Partnerships, LLDC], who I believe is retiring soon, for all the work you have done over the last few years. Back in 2016, following disturbances at the London Stadium, the Police [and Crime] Committee did a site visit and took formal evidence from relevant agencies...

• Question by: Andrew Boff
• Meeting date: 07 March 2024

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Thank you. This goes on the clock. Lord Hendy, what do you like about running an MDC?

• Question by: Sem Moema
• Meeting date: 07 March 2024

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Assembly Member Moema, please? Sem Moema AM: Thank you and good morning, panel. My first question is to Gerry. How is the LLDC progressing with its plans to return planning powers to the boroughs by the end of this year? I guess that is in the context of my constituency, Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest, obviously having a clear interest in making sure that that transition works out well.

• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 07 March 2024

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Assembly Member Duvall, please? Len Duvall AM: One of the successes of your organisation, Lord Hendy, is getting together the stadium issues post the new administration and making it more transparent about what the actual problems were and getting a plan to rectify it. There is still some outstanding business. One of those is the continuing relationship between West Ham Football Club and yourselves and the other franchises and users of the stadium. Can you give us an update on where we are with that conversation and discussions?

• Question by: Marina Ahmad
• Meeting date: 07 March 2024

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Thank you. Assembly Member Ahmad, please? Marina Ahmad AM: Thank you, Chair. Good morning, panel. Gerry, you painted a really lovely picture of what the East Bank is at the moment and what it is going to be like. When can we expect it to be fully open?

• Question by: Emma Best
• Meeting date: 07 March 2024

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Thank you. Assembly Member Best please. Emma Best AM: Thank you. Good morning, panel. I wanted to turn to the Copper Box Arena. Just recently the contract for the next ten years has been awarded to Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL). I wondered if you could talk a little bit about what you see as the future for the Copper Box Arena for the next ten years as well with the investment that is going to be made.