Giant screens planned for Olympics branded 'intrusive' » Local Government » 24dash.com

A scheme to roll out a series of huge television screens broadcasting coverage of the Olympics was criticised today as "intrusive".

Eight permanent screens and a number of temporary screens will be set up in towns and cities across UK showing action from the Beijing Olympics.

Some of the Live Site screens will then operate up to and beyond the London 2012 Olympics, carrying local information, news and sport.

But the scheme has been criticised by design organisation the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) who said the giant screens would turn the towns in question into "outdoor Currys".

Olympic organisers say the permanent screens will be set up in Cardiff, Middlesbrough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Swansea and Waltham Forest in London.

Subject to planning permission, there will be further screens in Bristol and Norwich.

More than 20 temporary screens will also be set up to broadcast the official handover ceremony on August 24th when London Mayor Boris Johnson receives the Olympic flag from the Mayor of Beijing.

But director of CABE Space, Sarah Gaventa, hit out at the scheme.

She said: "Just when we're starting to create well-designed, civilised public space in many English towns, along comes a rash of intrusive neon screens.

"Having a fun, relaxed time in our streets and squares should come from the character and design of a place, not something that feels more like an outdoor Currys.

"This is not urban regeneration, and we have concerns about them being permanent.

"If it is going to work, funding needs to be earmarked for physical improvements to the spaces for which screens are proposed, and for proper curating to ensure the cultural programme is high quality."

Responding to CABE's criticism, a spokeswoman for The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) said: "We are in discussion with the Local Government Authority (LGA), Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), CABE and English Heritage to make sure that any new live sites work in the best way possible for all involved.

"We share CABE's ambitions to make sure every organisation involved gets the best possible advice."

The London Olympic Organising Committee is to supply the screens with the BBC providing content.

The National Lottery is providing £2.62 million towards the cost of the project with further funding from London 2012 partners Lloyds TSB and BT.

London 2012 Chair Sebastian Coe said: "At approximately 2.30pm UK time, on the afternoon of August 24, the Olympic Flag will pass from the Mayor of Beijing to the Mayor of London in the Olympic Stadium in Beijing and the eyes of the world will turn to us.

"Just as the nation celebrated London winning the bid, we invite the nation to celebrate the start of our four-year journey to 2012 - in whatever way they wish.

"This could be at one of the live sites, a fantastic example of a project created because of London 2012, but one with a life well beyond the Games."

Philip Davies, planning director of English Heritage, insisted that he was not concerned about temporary screens but said there were worries about the impact of more permanent screens being set up across the UK.

He said concerns about a rise in the number of permanent screens had not been acknowledged, adding: "What should be a positive legacy could end up having a detrimental effect to the character and quality of our historic city centres."