Examination of Witnesses (Questions 4072
- 4079)
4072. Chairman: Good morning. Today we
will continue the Petitions with Springdene Ltd, the Stafford
Partnership and Mercury Theatres Ltd and Legal & General Investment
Management Ltd. May I first of all call on Mr Goodman to make
the case for Springdene Ltd. Mr Goodman, before we start, Ms Lieven
wants to raise an issue.
4073. Ms Lieven: Sir, only that if it
helps the Committee, I was proposing to make a very short two
minute opening statement to explain where the property was to
orientate the Committee.
4074. Chairman: Okay.
4075. Ms Lieven: Sir, Springdene has
a lease on the ground floor and the basement of number 40-42 Charterhouse
Street. If I can put up our exhibits which are P54, number two,
which is a photograph of the Springdene property. The Committee
may remember hearing Islington's Petition a few weeks ago concerning
property number 38 Fox and Knot Street, the one on the apex, which
was described as the flat iron building, which is being pointed
to now. Springdene's property is the one next door that is being
pointed to now.[1]
Just so the Committee knows, so far as number 38 is concerned,
Islington is returning next week on Tuesday, and the Promoter
has been working very hard with Islington to come up with a solution
to the problem at number 38 but it is important that the Committee
understand that that solution will not involve saving the Springdene
property, number 40-42, so, on any provision which is proposed
next week, number 40-42 will continue to be scheduled for demolition.
The Committee will remember the emergency axis shaft comes right
up in to the middle of number 40-42. So far as Mr Goodman's Petition
is concerned, my understanding is that Mr Goodman will present
to you an alternative solution for the emergency shaft which involves
coming up in to Charterhouse Square, and, if I can just show the
Committee a further photograph in this bundle 06, I do this because
when we went on the site visit the Committee was not taken around
Charterhouse Square. It is a listed square with a number of listed
buildings, a grade two and a grade one listed building, I will
show the Committee in a second. Mr Goodman's proposal is that
the emergency shaft comes up roughly at the location of the silver
car there.[2]
What I intend to do, Sir, is, after you have heard the evidence
of Mr Goodman, to call Mr Berryman to explain both the problems
with that location, both in terms of what goes on underground,
but also in environmental terms. I may also call Mr Smith to deal
with any compensation concerns that Mr Goodman puts to the Committee
but to some degree that will depend on what Mr Goodman says. I
hope that is enough at this stage to explain that the factual
position of Mr Goodman, and I will leave it there to hear what
he says.
4076. Chairman: Mr Goodman, do you want
to make your case?
4077. Mr Goodman: Yes, I do. Can I make
one point on that, the question of number 38 Charterhouse Street—
4078. Chairman: Mr Goodman, before you
proceed, I know this is very worrying for you because you are
not used to this, but, can I say, you can take your time and it
will be easier as it goes on.
4079. Mr Goodman: It is a question on
the opening address where it is now news to me that number 38
is possibly not going to be demolished. In the Promoters' response
to us, we said that they should not take down buildings within
the conservation area unless it is absolutely necessary and they
included 38 and 40-42, so, it is news to me that they are still
discussing number 38. Some of the things I will say here is that
we are against knocking down two buildings for fire escape stairs.
1 Crossrail Ref: P54, Photograph of 38-42 Charterhouse
Street (ISLNLB-22504-002). Back
2
Crossrail Ref: P54, Photograph of 'Western Arm' of Charterhouse
Square (ISLNLB-22504-006). Back
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