At least two councils hosting parts of the Olympic torch relay have not been able to buy official bunting from organisers LOCOG because of high prices – while the cost of bunting in a third local authority was quoted at five times that of\u00a0road closures and stewarding\u00a0equipment combined.<\/p>\n
Both Highland Council and Iver Parish Council decided they could not justify the cost of the branded bunting, which\u00a0has to be bought from the Olympic organising committee LOCOG.<\/p>\n
Writing about the costs falling upon local authorities for hosting the relay, Jim Cowan\u00a0argues<\/a>\u00a0that LOCOG’s monopoly on bunting has created an extra burden on councils when they can ill afford it:<\/p>\n “What will infuriate council tax payers more is the inefficiency demonstrated in the planning which further squanders their money.<\/p>\n “Being the Olympics, those places along the route will be expected to include Olympic and London 2012 branding in their street dressing. The only place they can buy the official flags, banners and bunting? You guessed it; LOCOG. Not only are LOCOG not paying for the Torch Relay, they are profiting from it.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n A quote from\u00a0the minutes of a meeting at Iver Parish Council<\/a>\u00a0gives the costs at “\u00a337 for a pack of 5 flags and \u00a390 for 5 x 20 m of bunting.” It adds: “There are specific guidelines where the \u2018Official Look\u2019\u00a0Olympic decorations can be erected”. The council\u00a0later decided<\/a>\u00a0not to purchase the bunting from LOCOG “due to the cost of the\u00a0decorations, cost of installation and problem of knowing the best location for it throughout the parish.”<\/p>\n And at Highland Council an events officer spoke about the “extortionate” cost of bunting offered to local authorities to decorate the route, and the lack of financial support given to local authorities by organisers.<\/p>\n \n\n