Trafalgar Square to be at the heart of London 2012, says Mayor

TRAFALGAR Square will be the centre of the capital's London 2012 celebrations, mayor Boris Johnson told the Olympic Board today.

ICONIC: Thousands gathered in Trafalgar Square to hear London announced as the 2012 Olympic host city - now Mayor Johnson wants to redevelop the area in time for the Games (Getty Images)

Johnson - inspired by the recent Winter Olympics in Vancouver - wants to create four live sites and pedestrianise a huge swathe of central London around the iconic Nelson's Column.

Ticketed live sites, which will host concerts and big screens, will have a daily capacity of over 100,000 - and will be situated in Hyde Park, Victoria Park, Jubilee Gardens and Potter's Gate.

Johnson hopes to fund them with support from official IOC and London 2012 sponsors.

Trafalgar Square, which hosted the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic team homecoming and was the scene for massive celebrations when London won the right to stage the Games in 2005, was rejected as a live site for security reasons.

But Johnson wants one of London's picture postcard views to be at the centre of the Games - even though the majority of events are taking place eight miles away in east London.

Under plans revealed today, he wants to create a huge pedestrian area that stretches from the square to nearby Covent Garden and Leicester Square, which would be decorated with flags, colour schemes and be a focal point for the much-maligned Cultural Olympiad.

The 'look of the Olympics' and how the city is dressed up for the Games has been a key consideration for Johnson, with £32 million of the £9.32 billion budget set aside to get it right.

Johnson wants visitors to the capital to know they are at the Games, even if they are not at a venue but with such a large scale area to cover, he must spend his budget wisely.

Money was no object in Beijing as official logos and banners hung from every available lamppost and street sign but cash concerns meant Vancouver scaled back on their initial plans to 'dress the Olympic city', leading to some criticism from seasoned Olympic observers.

"The Olympic and Paralympic Games are such a unique and outstanding opportunity for London and the UK with the benefits far outliving the closing ceremony," said Johnson.

"We're under no illusion about the mammoth tasks ahead in planning and preparing for the world to come and experience our capital.

"It would be remiss of us to think people will stay away from such an occasion - simply put, it will be ‘business as unusual'.

"But we will be more than ready and are carefully planning these momentous and historic days for our city. Any visitor to London during a normal summer is spoilt for choice - in 2012 we'll be raising it several notches."