London 2012

London Olympics: why has Andrew Altman resigned?

Many spoke highly of the games legacy chief's work, but power has passed to those who doubt him
Comapnies involved in the London Olympics have called for an end to a ban on promoting their work
London 2012 Olympic Park. Photograph: Oda/Getty Images

Tuesday's news that Andrew Altman is to step down as chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) will not comfort those who fear that the future of the Olympic Park and its immediate environs is being wrenched from the loving arms of sensitive place-makers and placed at the mercy of cold-eyed accountants and, still worse, Conservative Party politicians.

Such fears are, of course, already largely realised. The LLDC is Conservative mayor Boris Johnson's creation and responsibility, and his choice to succeed Labour peer Margaret Ford as its chair is Conservative councillor and erstwhile Transport for London deputy chair Daniel Moylan from deepest bluest Kensington and Chelsea.

Altman had been brought in by Ford in 2009, when the LLDC was a slightly different beast called the Olympic Park Legacy Company, to re-think the previous masterplan for the park's post-games development. Yet the outcome, which honours established London streetscape styles, enjoyed the Mayor's public approval, which is why his decision to resign has been met with some surprise. So why is he on his way?

My deduction is that he jumped rather than risk being pushed. Some reports say that Altman is effectively paying for failing to get long-term tenants for the stadium sorted out more quickly, and some talk has it that with Ford gone he was bound to follow as part of the passing of the old regime.

A more nuanced version, though, is that parties with a pressing interest in not going down in history as having made a costly hash of the whole, big, "regeneration games" legacy thing made it known that they weren't confident that Altman has the qualities required to grind out property deals and arm-wrestle vivid characters like the ones who run West Ham - and that, eventually, such views reached the ears of Altman himself. If you were him, would you have stuck around?

As for those fears about cold-eyed accountants and deep blue Conservatives, it all depends on what scares you.

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