During this last bank holiday weekend, l didn’t bother going to Lords to watch the England Vs Pakistan test match despite having member tickets. The allegations, which came so soon after the collapse of the Pakistani first innings, made me wonder what an earth is happening to their cricket!  The depth of damage to this wonderful game cannot be understated, particularly because of the speed in which it has become major global news.  I’d heard the newspaper vendor next door to Grace Gates had such a run on the News of the World, (not the normal read of MCC members), that he had to call for further supplies.

It’s often been said Pakistan’s inherent love and passion for the game has often kept it together, even at the most testing and toughest times, reflecting its national importance.  However, coming so soon after the recent tragic floods and its ongoing battles against terrorism, this is yet another blow to Pakistani pride which will no doubt impact even further upon the nation’s psyche.   If the allegations are founded, well frankly, this nation deserved better from its national team, so I’m not surprised by the very heart felt and emotional responses of disappointment which we’ve heard from Pakistanis, both in the UK and in Pakistan towards the team.   In my view, these allegations cut deeper than the, not so long ago, Alex Higgins story of match fixing, for the simple reason that it’s not just about one individual, its about a team and an entire nation’s pride which has been trampled on.

I’ve got a ticket for the one day international at Lords between England & Pakistan on the 20th of September, but unless we see dramatic changes, and swift and decisive action by the Pakistani Cricket Board, I’m unlikely to go.  I feel great pity to have to say this, because the last time l watched them play at Lords, they’d beaten Sri Lanka in the Twenty20 World Cup final last year, illustrating well the best of Pakistani cricket.

I, probably like many millions of other fans, will never be able to watch a no-ball in international cricket again, without wondering whether it was deliberate or not.  How very disappointing.  But whilst such events cost reputations, it does not cost lives in the same way that a flood does, so let’s get our perspective right on these things.

“The dismantling of the 1952 Cranford Agreement limiting the use of the runways at Heathrow has led to a back door approach by Heathrow to dramatically increase flights from the airport” claims Murad Qureshi, London Assembly Member and Labour Group lead on the Environment, after seeing recent reports presented at a meeting of the Heathrow Airport Consultative Committee (HACC)*.

The works necessary to extend the use of the airport and take advantage of the new arrangements could pave the way for extensive mixed mode use of the airport’s two runways and a dramatic increase of flights in and out of the airport. Heathrow’s capacity was capped at 480,000 movements a year under the terms for Terminal 5 planning permission. However, current moves could mean that this cap is lifted and there could be up to 515,000 movements a year in the future.

Although any new works will require planning permission and consultation before going ahead locals fear that this is an underhand means of increasing he use of the airport and just a foot in the door for wider and more damaging changes.

Similar concerns were also expressed by London Assembly members in a motion they passed in June this year.

Ends.

Notes for Editors

Murad Qureshi is the Labour Group environment spokesperson and deputy chair of the London Assembly Environment Committee.

He is the London Assembly’s representative on the Heathrow Airport Consultative Committee

The Cranford verbal agreement introduced runway alternation in the 1950’s it stipulated that the northern runway should not be used for take offs in an easterly direction over Cranford unless unavoidable.

In 2009 the Secretary of State announced that the Cranford Agreement would end and introduce runway alternation on the easterlies with the view to redistributing noise around the airport more fairly.

The airport has to be reconfigured to accommodate the new landing patterns. NATS and the CAA will need to identify current schedules can be maintained while the works are undertaken.

Once this work has been done and a schedule of works determined local residents will be informed and consultation begun – works envisaged to take well in excess of 12 months.

Quite separately, from 13^th September 2010 essential maintenance work will start which will mean that day time alteration will be suspended – night time alternation will not be affected – work anticipated to last 6 weeks.

*Text of motion agreed by the Assembly at its Plenary meeting on 16 June 2010 can be found here

http://legacy.london.gov.uk/assembly/assemmtgs/2010/plenaryjun16/minutes/minutes.pdf

Woolies HQ, up for rent at least

Yesterday morning l awoke as usual to Radio 4 and a particular news item caught my ear, that is, since falling into administration in November 2008, two fifths of Woolies stores still lie empty, and the remaining bulk have been taken up by pound stores.

Now, the Woolies store near me on the Edgware Road (which was incidentally excellent for last minute xmas shopping, and yes I did actually shop there!) was almost immediately snapped up by Waitrose for a tidy sum (we hear), however, the thing that concerns me more is the empty Woolies Headquarter building on the Marylebone Rd.  It’s a local landmark, and if it hasn’t attracted any takers as office space, then perhaps, whoever is marketing these stores, should approach local planners about the potential for a change of use, maybe into a hotel or even an embassy?

The location has many excellent travel connections, with Marylebone station located just behind, Edgware Road tube station nearby, and a short walk away from Baker Street.  Not to mention the tide of buses and cabs along the Marylebone road.   I’ve no doubt, therefore, that the transport infrastructure could cope with those new demands without a detrimental effect on the lives of local residents.  More importantly, however, for both local residents and the local economy, it’s not healthy for such a large iconic building to lie empty in the neighbourhood.  Build wise, l suspect that a change of use into a hotel would be relatively easy, but for me a foreign embassy or several of them would be ideal.  Takers would not only benefit from a fantastic, central and vibrant location, it would also be a welcome and imaginative addition to the local area.

Murad with the Blue Cockerel proposal

After attending the viewing of the six new proposals for the Fourth Plinth last night, and seeing all the new ideas perched on the empty plinth in Trafalgar Square, the “Ultramarine Giant Blue Cockerel ” gets my vote! 
 
Out of the six ideas, it’s the one that stood out a mile. (I suspect this may well also be the view of pilots passing over London, on their way into Heathrow, or maybe not!).
 
The “Oversized Battenberg in Bricks” and the “Floating Cast of Fictional Mountainscape” held the least appeal for me, (the Battenberg, I certainly don’t get!) while “Sikandar” looked like Genghis Khan roaming through the Square.  As for the “ATM Pipe Organ”, well, that just looked too big for the plinth.

The only other contender was the “Brass Rocking Horse and Boy” which I’m sure will attract a lot of votes, but it’s the shocking blue cockerel for me.  Trafalgar Square and birds have been teamed up in the past, so a natural choice I think!

Now if l am reading Michael Crick’s political blog correctly from earlier on this week, Saint Vince Cable MP could find himself being the coalition mayoral candidate for 2012 !

He has been a Labour Councillor, is now a Liberal Democrat MP and to all intents and purposes a Tory Minister now as well.  Thats some political journey in public office. Rather then being known as a saint, maybe he should be better known as a political slapper !