Labour London Assembly Member John Biggs has labelled the Mayor's failure to secure a tenant for the Olympic Stadium as a "disgrace". Following today's meeting of the London Assembly, where the Mayor was questioned on his role as chair of the London Olympics Legacy Development Corporation, John Biggs has again called for a tenant to be found as soon as possible.The Mayor today stated that a tenant for the Stadium would be found by 2015 or 2016.Labour London Assembly Olympics spokesperson, John Biggs said:
"It is a total disgrace that the Olympic Stadium will be closed until 2016, at this rate the Closing Ceremony of the Rio Games would have happened before the stadium in Stratford opens again. The Mayor has had four years to plan ahead and ensure that a main 'anchor' tenant was found for the stadium. He has failed to do this which now leaves us with a very expensive empty stadium. The Olympics were a fantastic success and it is crucial that this is built on with a strong legacy for local residents, for the stadium to remain closed and un-used for so long is unacceptable."We've recently seen the Mayor desperately casting around and asking the American NFL to move in, this is something that local residents do not want to happen. We need a main tenant for the stadium who will become part of the local community and give a real sense of pride and ownership to our residents. We need a long-term and sustainable use for the stadium, the last thing we need is a short term deal to get the NFL in so that the Mayor can try and look good."