Should the EUG have a website?

[Plurien]

Thanks - good input. Appreciated.

EUG did agree that we'd have a website at a meeting in the end of Feb, but the effort's been needed on operations to move things forwards in preference over info on ground covered.
- But we can all learn from history, so it's not to say one is more important than the other - it's just a Q of time and you VRers are a demanding lot ;-)

EUG has a constitution which was adopted in Mar 2006 when it first got a committee, so it was effective long before that. The AGM this week reaffirmed the organisation and its aims which have everything to do with the relocation, interim and legacy phases of development that we always recognised would sweep Eastway away. Membership is large and growing, with many members being their club's rep on the issue.
You can contact EUG at eastway7506'at'btinternet.com .
There really isn't anything interesting to pick at, KJ, we're just a bunch of people who are interested to ride for ourselves and to ensure anyone else who wants to, or who thinks they might want to, can have a go. Obviously location is important to us, since it's easy to export facilities that require land out of London, and almost impossible to ever get them back...
We were delighted to get 1893 signatures on the petition which is part of the legal case we have spent a long time building. It is that legal case which BC was so interested to get its hands on, but for reasons which it was unable to declare. It was also unable to state that it was to make common cause with EUG so it was correct for the Group not to offer its legal case to BC. There is no 'denial' here, only a sensible policy in place to protect users' interests - which is what we're all about.
BC is welcome to meet with EUG at any time, and EUG has consistently sought to engage with BC, which appears to have real problems in maintaining a real and open dialogue with the people who do cycle sport in London.
This problems may have something to do with the following;-
BC recently put up the 'London Alliance' to make consultation with the ODA, which the ODA was pleased to accept in order to fulfil the need for its 'Velopark Steering Group' to consult with 'users' or 'the community' in reducing the site from 34ha to 7ha. Some members of the London Alliance, to their credit have denounced this manouevre. They are current or former chairs of BC Regions. The London Alliance is no longer a consultation partner, but the damage to cycling interests has been done.
BC has been on the 'Velopark Steering Group' through the period when the velopark went from being a 34ha to a 7ha site. This reduction cannot be in riders' interests.
BC engaged with the LDA in settling on the relocation to Rammey Marsh. BC was involved with the developer from the outset in 2003 when users first realised that Eastway was to go with no relocation, no interim and no replacement.
- We do indeed learn from history.

EUG, together with many in and out of the sport deplore the actions of BC for their outcomes. EUG continues to be positive about the outcomes it has achieved and will pursue any avenue which leads to the final outcome required of a lasting and permanent legacy that gives back the road circuit and off-road competition to the site whilst more riders can come and enjoy the new facilities of velodrome and BMX.
EUG is very pleased to have secured relocation to the Hog Hill site which it has helped to design by forming the Hog Hill Design Group. It continues to be concerned that no opening date and no contractor is confirmed.
EUG is presently concerned to ensure the interim measures it secured in that same relocation agreement of May 2006 are delivered in a way which allows riders to continue in their sport.
This comes after an interruption which saw the LDA and its partner, BC, fail to deliver the promised road circuit at The Royals.
In Summer of 2006, EUG had separately secured MTB provision at Hainault Forest and it was a pleasure to see racing recommence there last night, now under BC regs.
Racing at Dunton - 18 miles away - is finally about to commence under BC regs, having been handed on to BC and LDA, when EUG could have secured the facility for racing in March 2007.

EUG insists there is a need for local facilties to replace Eastway. It has been dismayed to see facilities as far away as Dover or Hillingdon or Crystal Palace be agreed by BC as interim provision before any local provision has been remotely sorted out. London govenrment is amazed to be financially supporting a facility 80 miles away. Circuits in Victoria Park, Fairlop and some other venues were mooted, but seem to have been sidelined. Urgent action is required to bring local facilities on-stream.

- These are some of the reasons why EUG remains to be convinced that BC has a sincere mission to serve the needs of users above those of its understandable ambitions for being involved in the development and delivery of the Games. BC is capable of explaining its position on this, but it is also capable of being much more open and accountable as its part of a public-spending enterprise. This is about actions as well as words.

Wins for users are certainly gains for BC, so it is difficult to understand why BC would support Rammey, or the reduced velopark etc etc.

[Plurien]

When they were announced I emailed the shortlisted architect practices that are seeking to develop the velopark to offer them the Book Of New Eastway - no reply so far.
The Book was published in Feb 2004 as a guide to the planners for them to understand the needs of cycle sport and the practical considerations to apply in designing a new one. It covers road, off-road, velodrome, BMX and speedway. It has expert competent submissions.

[martin smith]

[mho]

[JohnC]

[JohnC]

[martin smith]

[Des]

IIRC Correctly the Book of New Eastway was published on the web, and sent to BC, LVRPA and the LDA in Feb 2004.

Unfortunately my link pointed to the old LCS website which is no more.

An early web pressence was created by Roy however.

http://www.roygardiner.com/campaign.htm
_________________
www.kentonrc.co.uk

[mho]

[mho]

[martin smith]

[Des]

[ldncycle]

yeah, lets tone it down a bit.

[Roy Gardiner]

[John McC]

A poor AGM attendance record went against him
_________________
John McClelland's victory in the motor paced event with Derek Marloe on the derny was a thing of beauty (Oldmanof)

[martin smith]

[Plurien]

- You say you want info, but you're sick of the postings.
- You say you want facts, but you'll probably find all you need has already been said, if not in this thread, then in the many others, which almost always hit the ten pages barrier
- If this wasn't such an issue, wouldn't it have faded away?

If it hasn't been said here this time around, it was probably discussed at the AGM on Monday that you didn't come to. Meetings are important too. For instance, the list of members was on display, just like it says it has to be in the constitution, copies of which were also freely available there.

We've all been to meetings which weren't well attended, but the EUG AGM with 15 present and 32 apologies wasn't one of those. There were many more who didn't reply. I've not been to an E region meeting, but the last SE region I went to had fewer, as did the cyclocross regional AGM in Feb. 1893 signatures on a petition isn't bad going either, especially given the strict timeline on it for presentation to the Mayor. Around 1000 of the signatures came from a track meeting where people were queueing up to sign.

In any organisation that is open and democratic you will find there is debate, argument and furious disagreement - It's because the people who join these things want to have a say and are perfectly capable of supporting the wide ambitions whilst frantically being fratricidal. That's fine. The recent letter from Catford CC is only one amongst many that have been seen around. If VR would like, EUG can ask its members for many many more like it, since they are on EUG representing some of the country's largest clubs.

In general you'll also find that the organisations which stifle debate, which give 'carpetings' and hassle people in office if they have a different point of view are not good to deal with because they cannot trust people to get on with the objective and be personally motivated. That means they can't achieve much and so they move on.

People in cycling do seem to love a good bust-up. (Dad used to ride a bit with Percy Stallard, KJ please to note, and his cousin was on the GB team) Maybe that's why it perceives itself as a minority sport, when actually cycling is the country's most popular outdoor active pursuit for adults and children alike. Darn good fun it is too.

[JohnC]

[Billy Boy]

[cliffy]

It's fun to read the feud though Like Eastenders - I bet that JohnC sounds just like Phil Mitchell.