Examination of Witnesses (Questions 8931
- 8939)
8931. Chairman: Good morning, everyone. Today
we will be hearing the Petitions of D B Investments and the Reverend
Christopher Burke. Could I just say to the people who are present
that we will be suspending the Committee at around 11.30 this
morning so that people may, if they wish, go along to the upper
corridor to have refreshments—for 15 minutes or so, just
to give a break to the Committee.
8932. Could I ask: Is there anybody here for
D B Investments? (No response) Could it be noted that their name
has been called. We will move on to the second Petitioner, Reverend
Christopher Mark Burke.
The Petition of the Reverend Christopher Mark
Burke.
Mr Timothy Mould appeared on behalf of the Promoter.
Mr Stephen Richards appeared as Agent.
8933. Chairman: Before I ask Mr Burke
to proceed, could I ask counsel to summarise.
8934. Mr Mould: Yes, of course, sir.
I will set the scene, as it were.
8935. Reverend Burke is the vicar of the church
of St Dunstan's and All Saints. We are just in the vicinity of
Stepney Green, the area of open space we can see on the screen.[1]
We can see the two Crossrail running tunnels. Just to the west
of the church and its grounds, the running tunnels diverge, with
the Shenfield branch, the two running tunnels, going off to the
North East and the Abbey Wood branch running down towards the
Isle of Dogs and the river and underneath the river.
8936. As far as the work is concerned, in addition
to the twin-bore tunnel creation underground, in the way we have
described to you, there are to be twin shafts to serve the functions
of ventilation and emergency access within Stepney Green itself,
and then, immediately to the west of the junctions of the central
section and where the running tunnels diverge, caverns are to
be dug underground to enable the junctions themselves to be formed.
8937. That is a very brief outline of what is
proposed in this location. At Stepney Green, the depth of the
rails on the eastbound tunnel is about 28 metres underground and
on the westbound the depth is about 36 or 27 metres underground.
8938. May I turn then to St Dunstan's church
itself, whose footprint can be seen just to the east of where
the tunnels diverge.[2]
It is a large medieval parish church and our heritage advisers
Alan Baxter & Associates tell us that this is the most important
surviving medieval church in East London—famous, they say,
for its monuments. Its fame is attested to by the experience of
children in the nursery everywhere who sing of course of the bells
of Stepney, and the bells of Stepney are the bells, as I understand
it, of this church. That is a neat way of expressing its value.
8939. I think it is right to say that in the
olden days it used to be the rural parish church of Stepney and
the church for East Middlesex, so that gives some sense of its
historic importance. Its importance and value are properly reflected
in the fact that it is listed as a Grade I listed building. You
will know that that listing is enjoyed by only the top few per
cent of listed buildings generally.
1 Crossrail Ref: P86, Location Map of the church of
St Dunstan's and All Saints, Stepney (TOWHLB-30903-001). Back
2
Crossrail Ref: P86, Church of St Dunstan's and All Saints, Stepney
High Street, view and location (TOWHLB-30904C-001). Back
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