Examination of Witnesses (Questions 3280
- 3299)
3280. Who wrote the Jubilee Line Extension Environment
Assessment on Noise? Was that you?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) I was then a sub-consultant
to Environmental Resources Limited, who wrote it. I cannot remember
who wrote that bit.
3281. Is it the picture that you came in later
and modified it, saying, "What we really want is 40 because
it is cheaper"?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) I am not changing what
is there. 35 is the lower boundary of the low impact classification.
It was then; it is now and it will be, I hope, for time to come.
3282. Let us go to the guidelines for community
noise. This is a document produced by four acousticians. Am I
right?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) Forgive me if I say no.
I do not mean to be awkward but Professor Berglund is a psychologist.
3283. Sorry; four individuals. He was in charge
of sleep, was he?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) Brigitta is a woman.
3284. Those are the views expressed of those
four people?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) According to these pages,
they are responsible for the views expressed in this document.
3285. What we must not believe, must we, is
that this is a document of World Health Organisation policy that
is different, for example, to the FTA policy in most states?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) It is not World Health
Organisation policy.
3286. Could you show us, please, where the document
deals with what we have been concerned about for the last two
days, which is groundborne noise?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) It does not explicitly
deal with groundborne noise.
3287. It is careful to say, also, is it not,
that where there was a large proportion of low frequency sounds
you should look at lower guideline values?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) In giving my answer I
must remind the Committee of my explanation as to what is meant
by low frequency sound.
3288. In your work have you done an investigation
of any complaints on recent railways that you have promoted?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) No.
3289. Do you accept the advice of the Wilson
Committee in 1963—this is LBC30—that complaint does
not always give a reliable guide to noise?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) I said quite a lot about
that yesterday. I use that as a basis for drawing conclusions
from the London Underground information without challenging it.
I have no idea if it is right but it feels reasonable.
3290. The Wilson comment you think is right?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) I am looking at LBC30
and reading about "... Only 5 to 10% of residents exposed
to noise actually complain or participate in related activity".
3291. Yes. The Wilson Committee quote at the
top, do you agree with that?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) I agree that complaint
is a surrogate for annoyance. Everybody who is annoyed does not
complain.
3292. Good. Have you, as a result of the work
and issues that you have faced over the years, done any surveys
of buildings that have 35/40 to ask you what they thought?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) I am wondering whether
the question is about surveys in the sense of a sample population
that one can treat statistically or whether I am being asked about
individual cases.
3293. No, sample population we can treat statistically.
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) I have done no social
surveys. I am not a surveyor, I do not have the qualifications
to do that.
3294. What we do not have in that bundle is
the reality of what has happened on your CTRL at North Downs,
do we?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) There is a page about
the North Downs.
3295. You know where the tunnel is, do you not?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) Yes.
3296. You know where the local authority is,
do you not?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) Tonbridge and Malling.
3297. Yes. Did you contact them?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) I have had completely
unrelated contact with Tonbridge and Malling. They have been clients
of mine but not about this.
3298. Have you sought any information as to
whether the 40 dB(A) on the CTRL was working?
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) I am party to a lot of
information about these things because of my links with the railway
design and construction and promotion work.
3299. You heard what Mr Methold did, he applied
a scientific method. He wrote to local authorities and asked.
(Mr Thornely-Taylor) I have to say that Union
Railways do not have to ask, they receive comments unsolicited.
Even I have received unsolicited comments from people living above
the North Downs tunnel, whether or not they knew my connection
with the parliamentary proceedings or whether they just phoned
me up because they found me on the internet I do not know.
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