Examination of Witnesses (Questions 11660
- 11679)
11660. As to the last point I have, there are
or have been, have there not, proposals for the Hammersmith and
City Line station additional platform proposed by London Underground
Limited? Am I right?
(Mr Murchie) That is correct.
11661. Just explain what that was, is or will
be, if anything.
(Mr Murchie) Well, London Underground have
what they call their `long-term train proposals' which are seeking
to improve basically the Hammersmith and City Line and the Circle
Line partly to cater for the existing increases in demand. There
is a number of development proposals at Paddington, particularly
at the Hammersmith and City Line end of Paddington Station, new
office and residential developments, some of which are already
in place and some of which are proposed, which will considerably
increase the usage of that station. As part of both the development
proposals and London Underground's own intentions, there are proposals
for the station which would provide an additional platform which
would certainly vastly improve the vertical access between those
platforms and the Crossrail subway.
11662. How firm are they?
(Mr Murchie) They are not definitely going
ahead by any means, but London Underground are very keen to carry
this out and, as far as the associated developments are concerned,
what is known as the "adjacent triangle site", those
proposals are very well advanced as well and hopefully will be
implemented so that the station improvements can take place as
well.
11663. Is there a reconciliation that you can
see with any link to Crossrail?
(Mr Murchie) Yes, one of the issues that has
been explained to us as a reason for not providing the subway
is the difficulty in providing the vertical link from the subway
back to the platform. The existing platforms are narrow and the
proposed platforms would be considerably wider.
11664. Mr Clarkson: I see the time and
it is spot on.
11665. Mr Liddell-Grainger: Ms Lieven,
we have two minutes to go.
11666. Ms Lieven: I have very little
cross-examination, but two minutes might be pushing it.
11667. Mr Liddell-Grainger: Fire away!
11668. Ms Lieven: All right, sir, I will
do my best.
Cross-examined by Ms Lieven
11669. Ms Lieven: So far as the Hammersmith
and City Line is concerned, Mr Murchie, you said you wanted a
better link over what was proposed in the Bill scheme. Can we
just put up 001 quickly.[12]
That is the Bill scheme coming up from the Macmillan House ticket
hall and the red line is going to the Hammersmith and City Line.
Do you see that?
(Mr Murchie) Yes, with access
coming up from the blue box at the ticket office, yes.
11670. That is in Macmillan House. If you go
to 005, that is the current proposal with the slight movement
or the dropping of Eastbourne Terrace and moving an entrance to
the clock arch and we can see that that is an improved link.[13]
That is better to the Hammersmith and City Line than was the case
in the hybrid Bill, yes?
(Mr Murchie) Yes, I do not deny
that there is a shorter walking distance involved in that scheme.
11671. And that current proposal that we see
before us was presented to Westminster and the Paddington Station
Review Group on 26 April?
(Mr Murchie) I do not remember the exact date,
but I believe you.
11672. That is the date I have been given. I
will ask Mr Berryman to deal with the problems of providing a
subway link. It is an engineering matter and I will not cross-examine
on it, but I will leave it for Mr Berryman, if I may. So far as
Heathrow is concerned, the only question I want to ask you, Mr
Murchie, is that a lot of this turns on the order of building
and the opening of Crossrail. Is it Westminster's case that, if
we manage to construct, for example, the Shenfield to Liverpool
Street bit and get it ready to open and the bit from Paddington
to Heathrow is not ready to open, then this Committee should require
us not to open Shenfield to Liverpool Street and have it sitting
there with new stations, but gates closed until Paddington to
Heathrow has been constructed?
(Mr Murchie) No, I do not think I am saying
that, but the point I was making is that, if the western terminus
is at Paddington, then it would be necessary that we require to
see the Heathrow link in place. I do not think we are saying that
at all about a new line which only goes from Shenfield to Liverpool
Street.
11673. I think you suggested or earlier in your
evidence you referred to some idea that the line might go from
Paddington to Abbey Wood. That has never been said by Crossrail,
has it? A report appeared in the press which we think may have
been, not leaked, but made for negotiating reasons by other stakeholders,
but Crossrail has never suggested that, has it?
(Mr Murchie) Well, I do not have that press
article in front of me, but I believe it was attributed to a named
member of the Crossrail team.
11674. Ms Lieven: We will check that.
It is certainly not our intention. I will ask Mr Anderson to deal
with our intention. That is all, sir.
11675. Mr Liddell-Grainger: Ms Lieven,
thank you very much. We will now suspend until 2.30.
The witness withdrew
After a short adjournment
11676. Mr Liddell-Grainger: This afternoon
the Committee will continue hearing Petitions relating to Paddington
Station. However, before we continue with Westminster City Council's
Petition, Mr Elvin will make the Promoter's closing submissions
relating to the Spitalfields and Hanbury Street site.
11677. During the last two weeks the Committee
has heard the cases of many Petitioners from the area. I want
to reiterate very clearly that the Committee will consider all
cases put before it and will consider the evidence presented by
both the Promoters and all the Petitioners. We will make sure
that the transcript of today's session is available to all the
Petitioners and, as we have said before, if Petitioners wish to
respond to the closing statement from the Promoters they are invited
to write to the Committee.
11678. Mr Elvin: Thank you. I distributed
yesterday to the Committee and to the Petitioners who were here
last night copies in writing of our closing submissions, but I
thought it would be helpful, given we are covering more than 30
Petitions in these submissions, to put the matters in writing
and just remind the Committee of the salient points of our evidence.
I am not sure what number this will have.
11679. Mr Liddell-Grainger: P100.[14]
12 Crossrail Ref: P99, Paddington Station-Hammersmith
& City Line Interchange, Street Level Plan, Hybrid Bill Scheme
(WESTCC-32104A-001). Back
13
Crossrail Ref: P99, Paddington Station-Hammersmith & City
Line Interchange, Street Level Plan, Current Proposals (WESTCC-32104A-005). Back
14
Crossrail Ref: Promoter's Exhibit: Closing Submission Note in
respect of the Petitioners within the London Borough of Tower
Hamlets. Back
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