Examination of Witnesses (Questions 4400
- 4419)
4400. Sir Digby, you have very kindly, in giving
your evidence, indicated that CBI strongly supports Crossrail.
That is right, is it not?
(Sir Digby Jones): It certainly
is.
4401. It takes little insight to understand
that one of the principal reasons for that support is that the
railway, once it is up and running, will generate substantial
employment opportunities, both directly and indirectly, throughout
London and the South-East region, through its contribution towards
regeneration.
(Sir Digby Jones): Are you asking me for a
yes?
4402. Yes.
(Sir Digby Jones): Well, yes. The statement
is obvious, but yes.
4403. I am very good at stating the obvious.
I will probably do it again. In terms of the construction industry
in particular, of course, Crossrail provides a very important
opportunity in terms of job creation and in terms of economic
advantage, does it not?
(Sir Digby Jones): Certainly.
4404. And no doubt those or your members who
are within that sector of the industry will be fully endorsing
the support that the Confederation as a whole brings to the project.
(Sir Digby Jones): Yes. It will not just be
construction; it will be leisure, tourism and businesses depending
on both ends of it as well, not just in the middle.
4405. Turning from those matters of general
interest to the local position: as you touched on in giving your
evidence, your employees and also, to a degree, your businesses,
depend, as many people do, on the efficiency of the public transport
system to get it to and from their place of work or their place
of business.
(Sir Digby Jones): Yes, they depend on it.
I think they have got used to the fact that it is inefficient
and therefore they would welcome Crossrail on the basis that it
is probably going to be an improvement to getting goods to market
and people to work.
4406. I do not know whether you yourself are
a regular user of Tottenham Court Road underground station.
(Sir Digby Jones): No.
4407. I am sure many members of your staff are.
(Sir Digby Jones): They certainly are.
4408. I do not know if you ever have cause to
speak to them about it.
(Sir Digby Jones): I certainly do.
4409. It is fair to say, is it not, that it
is an underground station which is clearly in need of improvement,
and, in particular, it is a station which is complex for passengers
to use and it is clearly operating on many occasions in the ordinary
course of the working day, particularly in peak times at or above
capacity?
(Sir Digby Jones): Yes.
4410. Mr Mould: One of the great advantages
that the Crossrail scheme in conjunction with the London Underground
proposed improvements will bring is just that increase in capacity
for people who are using Tottenham Court Road Underground Station.
(Sir Digby Jones): Certainly.
4411. For Members of the Committee there are
convenient reference points in relation to that in volume 2 of
the Environmental Statement, paragraph 8.7.115, which is to be
found on page 164,[8]
which indicates the current position that I have just alluded
to, which you have kindly agreed to, that is to say the fact of
the congestion which spills out from the station on to the surrounding
streets—yes?—and the need frequently to undertake
station control measures at peak times. Again, that will be familiar
to you from your experience from your discussions or conversations
with your staff.
(Sir Digby Jones): Certainly.
4412. If we go to the next page we see what
is proposed to replace that in terms of the plaza.[9]
That is an illustration of, I think we can agree, the far more
spacious approach to the Tottenham Court Road Eastern Ticket Hall
than is currently the position.
(Sir Digby Jones): Sure.
4413. In terms of benefits, we get some flavour
of that from a further and, I hope, final reference to the Environmental
Statement at this stage, certainly. Paragraph 8.7.139, page 168.[10]
We there see recited some of the transport benefits offered by
Crossrail. I am not sure I shall read it out: "The transport
benefits offered by Crossrail will result in an increase in passengers
using Tottenham Court Road Station. This increase in passengers
will be accommodated by the significant increase in capacity associated
with the Crossrail Station, in particular the enlarged ticket
hall at Tottenham Court Road Station and new connections between
Crossrail and existing Underground lines", and there is further
reference to the physical capacity of ticket halls and the corresponding
relief from congestion, and the opportunity to remove station
control measures at peak times. Again, we can agree on the advantages
offered by those benefits.
(Sir Digby Jones): What is your
point?
4414. We can agree on the advantages, on the
Environmental Statement.
(Sir Digby Jones): Certainly.
4415. In order to achieve those benefits, of
course, very substantial works need to be carried out in the vicinity
of Tottenham Court Road Underground Station.
(Sir Digby Jones): Yes.
4416. I put up for the Committee, in my brief
opening, a plan which showed the extent of the worksites which
are required in order to undertake those works.
(Sir Digby Jones): Sure.
4417. I mentioned that those works were expected
to take of the order of five to six years.
(Sir Digby Jones): Sure.
4418. I also mentioned that in the Environmental
Statement, in the transport assessment report, again included
in the written Petition Response Document that we provided in
response to your Petition, there is a careful assessment of a
phrased approach to traffic management throughout the course of
those constructions works. Have you seen that?
(Sir Digby Jones): Yes.
4419. Essentially, there are eight phases of
traffic management which will allow for the fact that, amongst
other things, Charing Cross Road is, at its northern end, required
to be closed for a period of years to enable the work to be undertaken.
(Sir Digby Jones): Sure.
8 Crossrail Ref: P10, Environmental Statement, Volume
2, Page 164 (LINEWD-ES10-140). Back
9
Crossrail Ref: P10, Environmental Statement, Volume 2, Page 165
(LINEWD-ES10-141). Back
10
Crossrail Ref: P10, Environmental Statement, Volume 2, Page 168
(LINEWD-ES10-144). Back
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