Examination of Witnesses (Questions 11260
- 11279)
11260. Secondly, so far as surveys and how defects
would be taken forward: (a) any damage would be remedied by Crossrail,
but (b), contrary to the assumptions that some make, the methods
of preventing settlement damage are focused on at source methods,
as Professor Mair indicated on day eight. It is set out in section
4.1 and 4.2 of Information Paper D12 and the defect survey process
is set out in section 5 of Information Paper D12, and the defect
survey is typically undertaken about a month before construction
starts in the area to make sure that it is unaffected by construction.[8]
11261. As with the unlisted buildings, the summary
of the stage 3 report is already in the public domain in the technical
report.[9]
It is the second down, 220, 17-25 Wilkes Street, potential settlement
damage negligible, building sensitivity scored one, which means
that they have some delicacies which have to be observed. Therefore,
overall potential impact is not significant, but that is subject
to a stage 3 report which, as I have said, will be made available.
11262. So far as noise is concerned the 40dB
level, which is taken over at a one second interval is a sensitive
approach because it measures out that noise not over an hour or
over minutes but over a second. So it is more sensitive than if
the time index were extended. Secondly, the weighting of the decibel
scale that is used for these measurements takes account of the
frequency response of the human ear, as I think Mr Thornely-Taylor
explained to you, also on day eight, when he gave his general
noise presentation; but I am sure he would be willing to talk
to the Petitioner and explain it outside the hearing.
11263. Mr Liddell-Grainger: I think that
would be very helpful, Mr Elvin. I do think the Petitioner does
need that. Would that be all right?
11264. Dr Goodbody: Yes, that would be
lovely.
11265. Mr Elvin: Can I reassure her that
detailed modelling has been carried out. There are eight volumes
of a noise impact technical report, which have been publicly available
in the various deposit locations and on the Internet for the last
18 months, and certainly the modelling details, if a Petitioner
wishes to get into the nitty-gritty, is there in the eight volumes
of technical reports. Sir, as I have said, I have offered Mr Thornely-Taylor
to discuss the noise issues further with the Petitioner. I understand
from Mr Thornely-Taylor that with this property it is predicted
that noise levels will be well below 40dB and probably below 30.
So you can put that in the context of other properties.
11266. Mr Liddell-Grainger: Dr Goodbody,
are you happy that you can have a conversation with the noise
expert. Would that be helpful?
11267. Dr Goodbody: Yes, I am really
happy with that. Do you understand about this?
11268. Mr Liddell-Grainger: The role
of the Committee is to try and facilitate your concerns, and if
we can orchestrate as we go along then we will try and do it.
11269. Dr Goodbody: After having this
conversation if I am still unclear, what happens then?
11270. Mr Liddell-Grainger: You can certainly
write to us and we will take notice of that.
11271. Dr Goodbody: The first point was
to reply to us about the stage 3 assessment, so are you telling
me that that has already been done? So this has been done without
entering our house?
11272. Mr Elvin: It is the first iteration
of the report. We have already given the Committee the terms of
the agreement with Tower Hamlets and they will be provided to
the property owners and we are then prepared to discuss the individual
terms of the individual properties with individual property owners.
11273. Dr Goodbody: So I am asking quite
a simple question for a straightforward answer: is anyone ever
going to come into my house and have a look at it from the inside?
11274. Mr Elvin: I suspect the easy answer
to that is that once the report is received if that is what the
Petitioner wishes then the answer will be yes.
11275. Dr Goodbody: Okay, thank you very
much. You made a blanket statement that if there is damage Crossrail
will remedy it. I understood that there is still some argument
over that; that I would have to show that the damage was as a
result of Crossrail, it would not automatically be assumed that
the damage was Crossrail's fault.
11276. Mr Elvin: That is why the defect
survey is done just before the works are carried out.
11277. Dr Goodbody: But these are 300-year
old houses, they are full of defects.
11278. Mr Elvin: Yes, and we have listed
building specialists.
11279. Mr Liddell-Grainger: We have gone
through this very carefully because of course it is a concern
to the Committee given the importance of this area.
8 Crossrail Information Paper D12 Ground Settlement,
http://billdocuments.crossrail.co.uk Back
9
Crossrail Ref: P97, Impact Assessment, Crossrail Schedule Impact,
Alan Baxter & Associates, Volume 2, p125 (LINEWD-STR118-125). Back
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