Examination of Witnesses (Questions 4220
- 4239)
4220. The overarching point on compensation
which Mr Elvin made to you in more detail last week is the one
about the National Compensation Code. If I can refer the Committee,
just for the record, to Day 14, paragraph 4043 onwards. It is
in the Promoter's view appropriate that this Committee should
follow the National Compensation Code and Mr Goodman will be eligible
for exactly the same compensation as anybody else who is subject
to compulsory purchase and in my submission that is entirely right
in the way that the Committee should go.
4221. I have done that shortly but I hope that
covers the key points.
4222. Chairman: Mr Goodman, is there
anything you want to say in summary?
4223. Mr Goodman: Yes. Chairman, you
have already heard my views on the compensation and as shareholders
in this business we are not at all confident that these grandiose
terms that we will be fully compensated wash with us. Any business
that runs must take decisions on a business level as and when
they occur. We could reasonably have expected, if our business
progressed the way we wanted it to, that we could sell it and
make an exit but that option is no longer there. We are faced
with an indeterminate time as to when this compensation will take
place and how much compensation that will be. We are blighted
in the meantime.
4224. The question of believing that the alternative
suggestion has no merit seems to me to be a high-handed attitude
from Crossrail to the effect of: "This is the design, this
is where it is, 40-42 Charterhouse Street is the only place we
can do that and, therefore, we will not open our minds to anything
else". I take it that the distance that you would have to
travel to escape would be longer but that does not contravene
any regulations at the present time and although it will reduce
the amenity of Charterhouse Square I would suggest that the present
decision to knock our building down totally reduces our amenity
and we believe that we have a right to be heard.
4225. I hope that the Committee could look at
appointing an independent assessment of the situation so that
it is not done by Crossrail but is open-ended and could be presented
to the Committee for their final decision.
4226. Chairman: Thank you, Mr Goodman.
That concludes the petition hearing for Springdene Limited. We
will now move on to our next petition. The next person we will
hear is Mr Stafford from Stafford Partnerships.
4227. Ms Lieven: Can I say, sir, I am
handing over to Mr Mould at this point.
The Petitioner appeared in person.
4228. Chairman: Before you start, can
I just tell my colleagues we are aware that you are partially
deaf. Can I just say I am also partially deaf, I have got 47 per
cent hearing, which in my job is not much of a disadvantage and
sometimes a positive advantage! We are well aware of the difficulties
you may have. If you find particular difficulties during the course
of either your presentation or anything else, please feel at liberty
to ask for it to be repeated.
4229. Mr Stafford: The Clerk was kind
enough to say that you would turn the Loop system on and, I must
say, that, combined with a little bit of air-to-air hearing, is
okay.
4230. Chairman: Before you start, Mr
Stafford, I would just like to invite Mr Mould to make an opening
address.
4231. Mr Mould: I generally find that
people who are hard of hearing have a profound advantage when
they have to listen to anything I have to say! I will try to be
brief in opening and explaining the context of this particular
petition. We have put on the screen an extract from the deposited
plans with the two properties with which this petitioner is concerned
highlighted. The position is that the Stafford Partnership owns
number 15 Monmouth Street, which is there shown as land parcel
60. You can see that is a property under which the westbound running
tunnel of the proposed Crossrail railway is proposed to run. The
Stafford Partnership also owns numbers 65-67 Neal Street which
as you can see is somewhat more remote from the scheme and is
not within the Bill limits at all.
4232. Mercury Theatres Ltd is the tenant of
15 Monmouth Street, that is the first property to which I referred.
Mercury Theatres Ltd is a post-production film editing company
and my understanding is—Mr Stafford will speak to this—their
premises at 15 Monmouth Street are a sound recording studio.
4233. At this point the running tunnels in relation
to the westbound tunnel are intended to be at a level of approximately
20 metres below ground. Thank you.
4234. Chairman: Mr Stafford?
4235. Mr Stafford: Thank you very much.
Good afternoon. My name is Mark Stafford and I am representing
the freeholders and the present occupiers and tenants, Mercury
Theatres. This opportunity of addressing you today is very much
appreciated. My co-Petitioners, Mr Glass, Maureen Timmers and
David Carstairs, who are directors of Mercury Theatres, are here
today too.
4236. You should have copies of our summary
which was supplied last week but I can take you through that now.
It is more or less the same.
4237. As you know, we jointly petitioned against
Crossrail because we feel that the proposed tunnel is too close
to the ground level. We have worked out that some 30-odd feet
is all that separates the bottom of the foundations at 15 Monmouth
Street from the proposed tunnel. That is about half the distance,
if you like, going right the way along the corridor to the lobby
area. Halfway is about that distance. We feel that is far too
close. I do not know whether you recall the previous Crossrail
attempt, which was many, many years ago, but in those days we
were dealing with London Underground and their chief engineers
explained to us that anything coming through has to go up to get
over the other lines which run across, so it is better to go deep
with the tunnel but it has to rise up fairly close to the surface
to avoid other lines. I just mention that in passing.
4238. We think that some noise, vibration and
low frequency sound will be apparent from the operation of the
railway. This might be reasonable in offices or shops, for example,
but at Monmouth Street we have highly sensitive, sophisticated
editing suites and recording facilities for film and TV post-production.
The operation of these would be adversely affected by the rumble
of trains passing underneath the building every three or four
minutes.
4239. Mercury Theatres is one of the leading
post-production film editing companies in London. Their clients
include the BBC, Paramount Pictures Corporation, DreamWorks Studios
and many other international film and TV producers.
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