Simon Hogg at the Olympic Park

This week I was excited to tour the Olympic Park. As I missed out on tickets to the athletics, this is the closest I will get!

There is good and bad news about the Olympic effect here in Battersea.

THE BAD NEWS

1. An Olympic-only lane (official vehicles only 7am to 7pm) will run along York Road/ Battersea Park Road/ Nine Elms Lane. Bus stops will be moved, there will be parking and loading suspensions and several turns will be prohibited. Please consult this very useful map for details. There is further information about Wandsworth on this Transport for London site and the official Olympic Travel Advice site.

2. Battersea Power Station will be used as an Olympic base for the police – so up to 550 police vehicles a day will be travelling in and out of the site. 12,000 police officers from around the country will use ‘Camp Battersea’ for briefings.

THE GOOD NEWS

1. There is likely to be a drop in crime around Battersea Power Station during the Olympics due to all the police!

2. Wandsworth is hosting two Olympic road cycle races and also has an evening torch relay event. More information is below.

CYCLE RACES

Wandsworth Council says: The men’s and women’s races will take place over the first weekend of the Games on Saturday July 28 and Sunday July 29.  The route will be from The Mall to Box Hill and back again via south west London and Surrey . In Wandsworth the cyclists will pass over Putney Bridge , down Putney High Street, along part of the Upper Richmond Road and along Priory Lane into Richmond Park . They will return later in the day along the same route.

Roads along the route will be closed from 3am on the first day and 5am on the second day. The cyclists are expected in Putney at around 10.10am on Saturday and 12.10pm on Sunday.  Roads will remain closed on each day until after they return back through the town and barriers are removed, road signs, traffic lights and islands reinstated, roads thoroughly cleaned and crowds dispersed. This is likely to be mid-evening.

OLYMPIC TORCH

Wandsworth Council says: The main chance to see the torch will be when it enters the borough from the All England Club at around 5.30pm on July 23. It will then travel the following route:

• Wimbledon Park Road
• Granville Road
• Merton Road
  
• Kimber Road
• Garratt Lane
• Upper Tooting Road
• Tooting Bec Road

The torch is expected to arrive at Tooting Bec Common between 6.30pm and 7pm. The free evening event, which starts at 5pm, will be in full swing and a Celebration Cauldron will be lit on stage to mark its arrival. As well as the chance to see the iconic flame, the celebration will include music and entertainment.