Select Committee on Crossrail Bill Minutes of Evidence


Examination of Witnesses (Questions 4440 - 4459)

  4440. That is, under the proposals that go hand-in-hand with Crossrail and London Underground improvement, a permanent loss, as we have already established: the area upon which the worksite is to be located will, after completion of the works, provide two new accesses to the underground, and so the existing CBI drop-off point will be permanently lost.
  (Sir Digby Jones): Yes.

  4441. Again, on a permanent basis an alternative arrangement has to be found.
  (Sir Digby Jones): Yes.

  4442. With that context in mind, I put to you one solution, on a temporary and, indeed, permanent basis, would be for the alternative to be at a point immediately to the east of Centre Point Tower, roughly where the left-hand filter arrow is on this plan. I am inviting you to say whether or not that would, all things being equal, be the optimum solution as far as the CBI is concerned.
  (Sir Digby Jones): As far as the interim period of five years is concerned, it is not in any way suitable but if it was the only place that it could be on a temporary basis we would have to do our best. As far as a permanent solution for post-work is concerned, it would be entirely irrelevant because we will not be there, will we? Because if your clients do not sort something out to help us we will not have a CBI at Centre Point. So it is irrelevant.

  4443. Sir, we have handed round some documents. I notice the time and I will ask this question and then stop. P58 is our series of documents. I wonder if we can just put up page 27 of that, please? Sir Digby, if this is material you are not familiar with say so and I will deal with it another way. Whilst Mr Fry is finding this we sent, on Friday, to your agents, a report by a firm called Hawkins Brown. Have you seen this before?[12]

  (Sir Digby Jones): No.

  4444. Mr Mould: I will just put the point.

  4445. Mr Harwood: If it helps, maybe we should ask Mr Handy about that.

  4446. Mr Mould: I will do that. If I can just ask this one point: that examined a number of alternative options for alternative access arrangements to Centre Point during the course of the London Underground/Crossrail works. Yes?
  (Sir Digby Jones): If you say so. I have never seen this before.

  4447. This was a report carried out by consultants instructed on behalf of London Underground, as I understand it, to carry out that exercise. The option that they favoured as being the most appropriate was Option 6. You see that that identified, essentially, the point about access during the construction phase as I have just put to you. Do you see?
  (Sir Digby Jones): Yes.

  4448. Then it sets out the positive and negative features of that access. Then it explains in the conclusions why that is, as between the other options considered, the preferred option. The only question is this: have you had any advice from consultants to promote positively an alternative arrangement that which we see in this report?
  (Sir Digby Jones): I do not know. I have not got a clue.

  4449. Mr Mould: Sir, I have got one or two other questions, but I do not know whether you want me to continue?

  4450. Chairman: If you just give us a moment, Mr Mould. Ms Lieven, could you advise the Committee on whether or not the Petitioners are going to be called this afternoon?

  4451. Ms Lieven: No, sir. My understanding is that they will not. I believe Mr Walker is here on behalf of GMS. My clear understanding is they are not going to attend. UBS have not formally withdrawn but I have been told by the senior partner of Dysons that as far as he can tell they cannot possibly be attending because he cannot find anybody to knows where they are. So they are clearly not coming this afternoon.

  4452. Chairman: If you just give us a moment. Mr Walker, can you enlighten us?

  4453. Mr Walker: My name is Angus Walker from Bircham Dyson Bell, Agents to both GMS Estates and UBS. In both cases we have recently reached agreement in principle with the Promoter and they have addressed our concerns satisfactorily, although in neither case has the agreement been formalised in writing yet. This should happen in a few days. We confidently hope we will be able to withdraw these two Petitions. In the circumstances, we are not appearing before you today, and you will understand that we should be able to inform the Committee of the withdrawal of the Petitions in the next two or three days, I would hope.

  4454. Chairman: Thank you very much. Mr Mould, how long will you be?

  4455. Mr Mould: I would have thought perhaps another ten minutes. So I am in your hands.

  4456. Chairman: What I am going to do is suspend the Committee until 2.30.

  After a short adjournment

  4457. Chairman: Mr Mould?

  4458. Mr Mould: Thank you, sir. Sir Digby, we were just looking at the document that you see on the screen in front of you and you had expressed concerns about the environment that currently exists at that point to the east of Centre Point. A point, indeed, which picked up in the negative aspects—do you see under "negative" there—"quality of environment" as one of the downsides of that particular access?[13] Do you have that?

  (Sir Digby Jones): Yes, I am looking at that.

  4459. If you look at the bold text at the top of the page, one of the points that is made is the possibility of temporary lighting and signage to enhance the area—a recognition that if this were to be an option for temporary access during the construction phase to Centre Point, that is to say to the east of the Tower, then there is a need for qualitative improvements to be undertaken for that purpose in order to enhance its quality.
  (Sir Digby Jones): Temporary lighting and temporary signage will not enhance the area to a standard at which you would say that is a quality access for staff for five years.


12   Crossrail Ref: P58, Hawkins Brown Report, Option 6, page 27 (CAMDLB-6704-027). Back

13   Crossrail Ref: P58, Hawkins Brown Report, Option 6, page 27 (CAMDLB-6704-027). Back


 
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