Examination of Witnesses (Questions 10080
- 10099)
10080. We would also ask the Select Committee
to ensure that any noise from the construction and then the trains
themselves is minimised and that satisfactory sound insulation
is fitted. We are told that the noise level may be 40 decibels
from the trains and they would run beneath us every two minutes.
What does 40 decibels mean? Crossrail have quoted noise standards
that are difficult to locate and impossible to understand, but
this level has been likened to the sound of a lorry passing by
at the end of the street—a not inconsiderable nuisance every
two minutes if you are trying to work or sleep. There are many
writers, artists and musicians living and working in our community
who would find the repetitive rumbling of trains passing beneath
irritating at best and at worst totally off-putting. We personally
are also worried about one of the high profile features of Spitalfields,
the Spitalfields Festival. It is an internationally renowned music
festival which uses our church, Christ Church, Spitalfields, as
a venue and which would find the future noise levels completely
unacceptable and make recordings of performances, by the BBC,
for example, impossible.
10081. We would also like to point out that
the funding for Crossrail is far from secure. That is putting
it mildly. A final decision to go ahead without committed funding—
10082. Mr Liddell-Grainger: Mrs Critchley,
the funding is outside the scope of this Committee.
10083. Mr Critchley: Yes, I know, but
what I am trying—it is relevant, actually. What I am saying
is that a final decision to go ahead without committed funding,
which is the state of it at the moment, would mean that the project
might never happen because it would not have the funding but our
community would suffer almost infinite blight from the public
awareness that Parliament had given it the green light. Thank
you for your time and patience. We look to you to safeguard our
property, which is our only asset, for which we have both worked
hard for more than 40 years, and above all we ask you to protect
the interests of the entire community in Spitalfields.
10084. Mr Liddell-Grainger: Thank you.
Mr Critchley, did you want to say anything?
10085. Mr Critchley: No, thank you.
10086. Mr Liddell-Grainger: Mr Mould,
have you anything to add?
10087. Mr Mould: I am not going to call
any evidence on this one either because I think the Petitioners
have raised points that you now have heard about in some detail,
but perhaps I can just say one or two words. First of all, in
relation to settlement issues, we have undertaken a settlement
assessment on the Petitioners' property and the results of that
assessment, which accords with the process that you have been
told about in earlier evidence, indicates that there will be negligible
effects from the tunnelling works beneath the Petitioners' property
at 14 Wilkes Street and we are not proposing any further assessment
in the light of that finding.
10088. Just to clarify a point, in relation
to the assurance that was repeated today about the disclosure
of reports to Petitioners we should make it clear, in case there
was any misunderstanding from what was said a minute ago, that
that of course does not commit us necessarily to undertaking any
further assessment work. We have carried out the stage three assessments
through what we call the first iteration in relation to each individual
listed building that falls within the ten millimetre settlement
contour and we have indicated to the Committee what that entails.
As we have indicated, we are certainly going to make available
the reports that get us to that stage but as to whether any further
work is required that is a matter that falls to be considered
in relation to each individual building depending on the risk
category that that building has been assessed as falling within.
What we have said, of course, is that we anticipate that when
Petitioners, if they choose to do so, ask for and receive the
settlement report in relation to their building if a report has
been prepared on that basis, they may wish, for example, to obtain
their own advice and they may raise points which they say call
for further consideration. We will, of course, consider any suggestions
of that kind sympathetically and decide whether any further work
is required. You have an example from earlier on today in relation,
I think it was, to 19 Princelet Street where just such an approach
has been undertaken. I hope that gives some comfort at least to
the positive spirit in which we put forward the assurance that
we did, but also the context in which it is offered.
10089. I say nothing more about the issues regarding
the alignment. You have heard a lot about that today. You have
also heard more than you need to perhaps about lorry movements,
although it is important just to make one factual point. There
is no proposal to route Crossrail construction noise along Wilkes
Street. All the construction traffic goes well to the east of
the Petitioners' property.
10090. I ought to say a sentence or two about
noise just to remind the Committee that it has heard presentations
and evidence from Mr Thornely-Taylor about the approach we take
to design and to the design criteria for groundborne noise, both
during the construction and operation phase. You will recall that
the approach we take, which is to have a criterion of 40 dBA for
residential properties generally, is one that is based on experience
with the Jubilee Line extension and other projects and has been
found to be a design standard which, if applied, has resulted
in a favourable outcome in terms of noise and vibration and disturbances.
We have explained that in earlier evidence. The prediction in
relation to the Petitioners' property, located as it is just to
the north of the eastbound-running tunnel at Wilkes Street, is
that the groundborne noise will be less than 30 dBA LA max, and
you will recall the relationship between predicted and design
criterion which Mr Thornely-Taylor explained in his presentation
to you.
10091. Finally, the Petitioners mentioned Christ
Church, Spitalfields, where the prediction is that the groundborne
noise from the scheme will meet the prescribed concert hall standard,
which I think is 25 dBA LA max, so we are confident that an acceptable
noise environment will be achieved in relation to that sensitive
property.
10092. Sir, unless there is any other matter
in relation to this petition that is all I wanted to say.
10093. Mr Liddell-Grainger: Yes, Mr Critchley?
10094. Mr Critchley: Could I just say
that I did not realise that a settlement assessment had been done
on our house. I did not realise that we had to ask for it. We
will obviously write. It just seems fairly typical of their communication
policy.
10095. Mr Liddell-Grainger: Thank you
very much, Mr and Mrs Critchley. May I call Aulad Miah?
The Petition of Shahjalal Community Group
Mr Aulad Miah appeared on behalf of the Petitioners
10096. Mr Miah: My name is Aulad Miah.
I am a resident in Spitalfields and I am here representing an
organisation called Shahjalal Community Group. I was born and
brought up in Spitalfields and my family have lived there for
over three generations from the seventies to now. I work locally
in a community organisation and I have family businesses in the
area.
10097. I would like first of all to describe
what we have in that area so that the Committee have a good idea
of what exists. Shahjalal Community Group is located in Fakruddin
Street, which is a densely populated estate built in the late
eighties. It is just off Vallance Road which is near to Whitechapel
Road. The lower part of Vallance Road will be used for lorries
to move spoil from the shaft site in Hanbury Street. In Fakruddin
Street there is a total of 32 houses and over 160 people live
there.
The Committee suspended from 6.41 pm to
6.54 pm for a division in the House
10098. Mr Liddell-Grainger: Please carry
on.
10099. Mr Miah: People living in Shahjalal
Estate, often known as Fakruddin Street, are of various different
age groups. Over 50 per cent are below the age of 18 and over
20 people are over the age of 60. The majority of the residents
are Bangladeshi and the elderly are the first generation from
Bangladesh. There is a community centre within the estate and
it holds classes, meetings, events. There is also a football pitch
which runs alongside the houses and it is an important community
resource since there are no other play areas available nearby.
Next to the estate are Thomas Buxton Primary School and Osmani
Primary School and the City Farm. Also local to the area is the
Brick Lane mosque, the East London mosque, shops on Vallance Road
and the nearby Whitechapel Market. The estate is actively engaged
with its neighbours, the Universal Water Services, UK Food and
Catering and Happy Nightmares Beds just off Vallance Road next
to Fakruddin Street. The estate forms a strong part of the residential
area around Whitechapel and Brick Lane.
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