The £50m was intended to build a civic centre on Silicon Roundabout on Old Street.
The centre would be used as a coworking space and to host conferences, co-working spaces and workshops, as well as a superfast broadband, 3D printing technology and a digital mesh screen for advertising on one face of the building. It might’ve seemed too good to be true. Building the centre was delayed, as reported in Techcrunch, because of a “big electricity substation” under the roundabout. Greater London Authority was tasked with a feasibility study which included finding a new location. Failure to do that, for as yet unstated reasons, has meant that the money has gone back into the treasury to “help reduce the deficit,” according to a spokesperson from No. 10. They cite technical difficulties as preventing the plan from going ahead and stressing that this is normal procedure. While this may be normal procedure, it may take out the wind out of the sales of Tech City ethusiasts who saw this as a new lift to a troubled initiative (for examples, see the Tech City Say No! campaign, and campaign for better broadband in the Square Mile). Image source
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.