Examination of Witnesses (Questions 11020
- 11039)
11020. Chairman: The term you said, "when";
it may be "if" and that is for this Committee to decide.
11021. Mrs Cove: I am pleased to hear
you say "if" rather than "when". I am interested
to hear that there is going to be a community cohesion adviser
and I would be really pleased to have that person identified to
us as soon as possible so we can make some contact with them.
I am dismayed to hear that Crossrail have completely disagreed
with the possibility even of doing the fully-costed analysis of
benefits of looking at the third route, the southern route. I
would like them to give me a very clear answer on why they have
decided not to do that. I would just, finally, say my very last
point to you, Chairman, is the amendment we are seeking from you,
as a Committee, is an amendment to the Bill to include in that
Bill the question of the third route, the southern route. That
is what I am asking you to do here today. I know what Crossrail
said about it, but you have the power at the Third Reading stage
to make some proposals to Parliament and that is what we would
like you to think about doing. Thank you.
11022. Chairman: Thank you very much.
That concludes that Petitioner. We now move on to Spitalfields
Housing Association and Mr Graham Seed.
The Petition of the Spitalfields Housing Association.
Mr Graeme Seed appeared as Agent.
11023. Chairman: Mr Seed, before you
start, Mr Mould?
11024. Mr Mould: What I can say is these
Petitioners are a community-based housing association working
almost exclusively, I am told, in the London Borough of Tower
Hamlets. They have freehold mixed residential development properties
and commercial use properties throughout the Borough including
premises within the immediate facility of the proposed Crossrail
works at Hanbury Street. The issues they raise in their Petition
are certainly those that have been ventilated in enormous detail
before the Committee and upon which you have heard our response
in some detail as well.
11025. Mr Seed: Good afternoon. I would
like to introduce Ala Udin as Chair of the Housing Association
and he has been living in the area for over 40 years. I thought
the Committee would benefit from the experience and views of Ala
from the viewpoint of a local resident which might offer a different
slant on the discussion. As my learned friend said, Spitalfields
Housing Association is a community-based association and it works
almost exclusively in Tower Hamlets. Spitalfields Housing Association
was set up 27 years ago by members of the local Bengali community
in response to poor housing and overcrowding in the Spitalfields
area. As I am sure you are aware the Bengali community constitutes
a significant majority of the local community as well as a large
proportion of the total population of the London Borough of Tower
Hamlets. Spitalfields Housing Association is still growing with
more than 150 new homes currently in development. We are particularly
proud of our strong community links from involving tenants on
the board of management to the way we provide tenant-focused services.
Spitalfields Housing Association then is very much at the heart
of the local community and our key objectives and services aims
are based on working with communities and providing real solutions
to local problems. We have a long track record of delivering quality
services based on listening to tenants and responding in a positive,
pro-active way, adopting a can-do approach to problem solving.
We involve tenants in the decision-making process in order to
promote democratisation based on active tenant consultation and
involvement. As has been mentioned, we own freehold mixed residential
development and commercial use properties throughout the London
Borough of Tower Hamlets, including premises within the immediate
facility of the proposed works. We have, in fact, particular concerns
in relation to these works adjacent to Brick Lane and in the general
facility of the proposed works. In particular, we would like to
stress the well-being of the tenants, their health and safety,
the right to quiet enjoyment of their tenancy and how they will
be affected by the proposals. I think it would be useful to hear
from Ala, with your permission, for the view of the Chair of the
Association in this matter. Would it be possible to call Alan
as a witness?
11026. Chairman: We can do, but it probably
would be proper if he was brought as a witness and then, if necessary,
cross-examined by the Promoters.
11027. Mr Seed: Yes.
11028. Chairman: Could I just add, because
we have stenographers here who work very hard for us and they
are already agreed to go a little bit over time for us, they are
many in this room who use public transport of one type or another.
I have to advise you that, because of events late this afternoon,
it is highly likely there will be a lot of it on the street. If
going on the roads, I think some of you may have to hang around
for a couple of hours before you get home.
11029. Mr Seed: I think the comments
of the witness will be fairly focused and briefly to the point.
I would aim to finish up the presentation in no more than 20 minutes
at the most.
11030. Chairman: I notice in your notes,
you have largely been following the scope of the notes and if
my calculations are correct, it would be five.
11031. Mr Seed: I am trying to develop
a précis. I am sure the important thing is to hear what
Ala has to say.
11032. Chairman: That is a good idea
that we proceed in your new way.
Mr Ala Uddin, Sworn
Examined by Mr Seed
11033. Mr Seed: Once again to re-emphasise
it, it is our perspective that the consultation process has specifically
excluded and disregarded the needs of the Petitioners. In particular,
I think there is a specific issue around the local Muslim community.
Your Petition has considered that the information presented was
specifically insufficient for members of the Bengali community
to make any reasonable judgment. We believe the current information
available still leaves room for potential misjudgement until the
scheme has been subject to more rigorous consultation process.
Members of the local Bengali community in particular would not
be able to reasonably judge the merits or otherwise of the scheme.
The Petitioner's process, therefore, we would maintain is defective
on the basis it is both prematurely and basically not acceptable
because of the inadequate consultation procedures. As has already
been mentioned, and as I said I will summarise the issues which
clearly the Committee have already heard in relation to potential
blight and routing, some of the issues around social economic
effects might well be a further consideration. We recognise the
principal aim of Crossrail is to improve accessibility and to
create sustained jobs in the financial business service area as
well as the local immediate areas. We recognise there will be
potential benefits for the local community and local population.
Your Petitioner is, on behalf of the Muslim Bengali community
in Brick Lane, objecting really to the fact they are being forced
to pay the cost of these improvements by enduring potentially
a number years of severe misery whilst watching the destruction,
potentially, of their own economy and loss, potentially, of businesses,
homes and jobs. Your Petitioner objects to the effects particularly
in the work in the vicinity of Hanbury Street and particularly
the effect on work spaces, properties and homes and the degenerative
effect these works will, potentially, will have on the local community
in general. We consider that this can destroy the millions of
pounds already invested in the area in an attempt to help improve
the living standards for one of the most deprived ethnic minority
communities in the country, and the proposal may well put that
issue at risk. Issues have already been discussed today in terms
of the tunneling strategy, the construction strategy, and these
I made reference to in my notes. I will not repeat those issues
here now. In terms of traffic and transport, once again we will
join with our previous Petitioner in considering both the volume
and scale of the traffic proposed is unsatisfactory for a densely
populated area, where particularly with relatively narrow roads
and streets with difficult tight corners and busy pavements specifically
used by school children, mosque worshippers, shoppers and members
of the local community who visit their friends and family. I know
this is something that Ala will want to refer to later in his
statements. We have already talked about air quality noise and
vibration and the issue around working hours, spoil and contaminated
waste, landscape and the built environment. We have already talked
today about the issues around building settlement. We have also
flagged up the issues around the need for recognition of adequate
compensation and the providing of social housing for the local
community. I think we would like to place on the record the need
to fully recognise the Association for loss of amenity and facilities
for the local community. To draw a summary on all of the above
issues, we would say that provision should be made in respect,
potentially, for cost element of a daily rate paid to the Association
in respect of our potential costs brought on behalf of our tenants.
I can assure that Crossrail will take that on board. We submit
that the Bill in its present form fails adequately to safeguard
and protect the interests of our tenants and it is the considered
opinion of Spitalfields this Bill should not be allowed to pass
into law without making more rigorous consultation of the local
Bengali-speaking population, both such consultation to be made
in English and Bengali. As a local community association, we would
be pleased to work with Crossrail in this venture and we would
like to call, with your permission, sir, Ala Udin of the Spitalfields
Housing Association to talk about some of the potential positive
ways we could work and assist Crossrail in securing community
value as a result of the project.
(Mr Uddin) Thank you, Chairman. I will not
repeat everything that has been said here, but there are a few
things that have to be repeated.
11034. Chairman: Let me remind you, I
am not one for pushing proceedings fast but we have stenographers
and we will help them a little bit. Take your time, it is all
right. We are here for however long the stenographers are willing
to stay. I am not sure how much longer that will be.
(Mr Uddin) Thank you. We worked on Crossrail
and I remember a few years ago when we had a meeting at the centre
it was full of local people, but they will not accept that should
be at our expense. This is where I want to remind you that in
1978 the then Home Secretary Merlyn Rees established an office
there on Brick Lane. I, as a Bengali young man, grew up in the
area. I have lived in the area for over 40 years and we lived
in squat. After 1978, once we became slightly secure and comfortable
in terms of our security and so on, people felt at home.
11035. When the local authority asked what our
needs and our aspirations we came forward and as a result of that
we established this housing association, it was the housing corporation.
Subsequently, they came together to help us. We have heard from
different speakers and presenters about the building, the architecture,
the environmental health and other issues. What you have not heard
yet and I am glad you visited the area along with your colleagues,
it is in the City and people who live there now feel this is their
home. This is something I want to stress. Since 1978, the government
have injected funding into the area and improved the area and
put money into social housing, in infrastructure, in health and
other areas. We are a community, this is our town, this is our
area, this is our livelihood. My colleague has said previously
these are other issues here to take into consideration, how you
deal with those issues, the health, the environment, they have
an impact in the community who are just trying to survive. For
us it is about survival.
11036. We have built up our homes and livelihood
there and there are people who will say to me that they are prepared
to change themselves if that does not come a reality. They will
go there and say, we have lived here for 50 years. I was born
here and grew up here for the last 30 years, a number of age groups
that will come forward will articulate this Bill and there are
people who are prepared to change themselves in the event of the
Government digging there. Crossrail is good for London, good for
our nation, this will bring money, it will generate a good economy,
it will create jobs. Why is it in our area? I think you tried
to tell one of my colleagues that the local authority did not
reflect the views and the problems of the local community. We
feel the same here and they should have listened to us very carefully.
We live in an age of technology that this must happen but not
in the way how you plan, not you but the promoter, how they propose
the project.
11037. The government has invested millions
of pounds. It is a very run down, derelict area. People from all
walks of life live there, from all races and religion, you name
it. This is the feeling, why is it us, why Spitalfields? We have
over 750 members but in attendance we have about 250 households
and there are another 150 in the pipeline and I also think we
will be receiving a lot more social housing from council structures
and these are all happening in Spitalfields and in Bethnal Green.
If we have what you proposed here, if we have decisions that come
to reality, people will suffer in very different ways, health-wise,
economically, children will not be able to participate in their
education. There are all kinds of social and health problems.
11038. So I am here to deflect the views from
the problems and to represent the aspirations of our community
and there is one community here and people feel very strongly.
Why have they chosen this particular location, why not elsewhere?
This is where local businesses have absolutely failed to reflect
our views and our aspirations here. If we have visited the area
I am sure we would have picked up how people are living there
and how they feel about the area. Without repeating what I already
have been saying there will be a catastrophic effect on our community.
This community has already undergone many struggles, many difficult
times. I think I would say as I said earlier that people are prepared
to change themselves. Thank you very much for listening to us.
11039. Chairman: Are you finished?
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