to not understand why they have closed the car park at Westfield Stratford

[Stokey]

Have just moved house in east London and thought we'd pop to John Lewis to get a couple of things. 10 minute drive only to discover the car park at Westfield is now shut until after the olympics. We had to drive to leytonstone, find somewhere to park, pay for parking, spend £7.70 on a return tube ticket each and carry the baby in a pram up and down steps.
Am I alone in wondering what the point of building a new shiny mall for the olympics if you are then going to close the car park? And the blummin thing isn't even starting for another 3 weeks.

maybe it's more to do with evidence collecting for the stabbing?

is it because they're worried about people planting bombs, so they're shutting places off far enough in advance to reduce the risk and/or have time to check them all?

I know that sounds bonkers, but I've been hearing about missiles and all sorts being installed [boggle]

oh dear. X posts. There has been a stabbing?

Yeah maybe its to do with the stabbing there recently. Cant think of any other reason.

someone was killed a couple of days ago, some big gang thing - maybe it's still that?

Huh. That is stupid. I can understand shutting them while the Olympic Games are actually on to try and stop traffic congestion in the area, but now?

Thanks for the heads up btw, was planning on driving there myself this week!

The roads ip there are going to be a nightmare around the time of the olympics. Can you imagine the gridlock, it's bad enough at Lakeside around Christmas time.

I'd imagine that it's to engourage people to use public transport, and also something to do with their security arrangements.

Starting now means that people are used to it. And gives the MIB time to do their stuff .

We went there for one of the test events and parked there. The roads all around were a nightmare, just for a test event.

They are either collecting evidence, as previous posters have said, related to the stabbing, or trying to encourage people to use public transport from now until the Olympics, so that athletes and officials can get to the stadium without any hassle.

After all, if the athletes can't get to the stadium, it's going to be a bit crap, isn't it?

I do sympathise though, doing almost anything involving shops with a baby in a pram is a nightmare!

No, it has been closed for a couple of weeks I think, to do with Olympics.
And yes it must be irritating if you drive.

I don't think it was the stabbing, I remember seeing a notice that it would be closed from X date. I assume it is because no way could that car park be open during the Olympics, and they need a few weeks to security sweep the area beforehand. After all, a car park like that is an ideal place for terrorists to try and hide stuff...

The car park at the stratford shopping centre (ie the rubbish old one next to westfield) is still open. You could have parked there.

I think that too is closing during the actual Olympics because they don't want anyone to drive to it, but yes, that doesn't help you now sorry!

they stopped concessions for Blue Badges so we can all use public transport instead

MIL lives in East London - fairly close but quite far away from Olympics. They have put parking restrictions in "for the Olympics". Mon - Sun 8am - 9pm.
There is no "pay & display" option. If you don't live there (and have applied for a permit) you can't park there.
So no one can visit

The parking restrictions came into force mid June - remind me when the Olympics start again???

So now there are streets empty of cars and lots of parking wardens wandering around!! And many of the permits for residents are caught up in a 'backlog' and are not processed yet.

It has shut now because all the Games Maker training and Ceremonies rehearsals have started so people would be parking there to attend those.

You need an Oyster card. And you can get a bus (97) from Leytonstone to Stratford, that might be easier with a baby.

If there's a waitrose near you, JL have started delivering for free to many waitroses and then you have 7 days to pick it up.
Did it this morning for babygros. Inspired idea.

That's awful HipHop. In our borough the restrictions haven't started yet, and when they do residents will be eligible for two reusable visitor passes (rather than a black-market in the single use scratch card type)

HipHop You can get a visitor permit: I'm in the same boat where I live.
Any car registered in the area gets an automatic virtual permit (you can check onlie if it has gone through yet), and you can apply for up to 40 visitor permits over the games period per address.
So your excuse not to visit the MIL doesn't work!

snuffaluff The other car park (old manky one) has now shut too. No shopping for me!

I'm dreading all the traffic restrictions. The car parks were scheduled to shut, so I don't think it's about the stabbing, but even without that it's going to be such a pain.

The best way to get there at the moment is probably the DLR, it's all step-free (when the lifts are working anyway ). Or just drive to Lakeside! (can't remember if they have a JL though...)

It's shut until late September apparently. Needed to look at carpets so had to go in person, and was hoping to buy a couple of bits like new bathroom bin, but became a nightmare as no car. Didn't have my oyster card with me as was driving, but now i know. At least no parking restrictions here afaik.

Oh I parked there on Saturday MummyWeather, they must have shut it yesterday! I got lucky!

I've also got visitor permits for our street that I'm told are valid during the games thankfully.

Yes will get visitors permits eventually but they are held in a backlog. We'll get there eventually

Its not to do with the stabbing. Its so annoying because my SIL lives a few minutes away so we meet there for coffee and then I do my food shopping at the Waitrose, SIL now has parking restrictions all around her house so I can't go to hers. Its bloody inconvenient and you know most of the shops are furious about it all. The last time I went I had my car searched for 'explosives'.