Examination of Witnesses (Questions 11860
- 11879)
11860. All the Promoters are doing is saying
we will have a quasi agency that will help. They could go to Foxton's
for that—and that will not do them much good. What is required,
we say, is something extra, by which there is an energised approach,
whereby all of us working together provide something, and we have
yet to have any suggested provision. You will hear about that
from the people themselves who are affected. As I say, it is a
social issue.
11861. The batching plant is the last issue,
and we are anxious that, one way or another, we, as the planning
authority, deal with this properly. I appreciate that this is
an AP3 matter to some extent, so that there will be the supervision
by Westminster, but we were looking, first of all, for planning
supervision with the plan, so that we can apply conditions. If
the Committee does not think that is right, we do insist, through
the Committee, that the City of Westminster is the planning authority
that not only supervises it but can enforce any breach of condition.
There are, again, social issues and environmental issues of a
batching plant in an area that is in the context of homes, noise
and environmental pollution. It is a live issue. It will be addressed,
I think, by AP3 to some extent, and we keep our powder dry to
that extent and hope that in due course it will be satisfied.
11862. Mr Liddell-Grainger: Mr Clarkson,
thank you.
The Committee adjourned until 6.00 pm.
Ordered: that Counsel and Parties be called
in.
The Petition of the Paddington Residents' Active
Concern on Transport.
The Petition of Rodney Fitzgerald.
The Petition of Katie Black.
The Petition of John Shepherd and others.
Mr John W S Walton appeared as Agent.
11863. Chairman: We are now going to
deal with the Paddington Residents' Active Concern and the petitions
of Rodney Fitzgerald, Katie Black and John Shepherd represented
by Mr John Walton. Mr Walton, are you going to take all four together
or are you going to deal with them separately?
11864. Mr Walton: All four together.
11865. Chairman: Thank you very much.
11866. Mr Taylor: Perhaps I can briefly
introduce the petitioners if I might. Mr Walton is representing
as you just said the Paddington Residents' Active Concern and
Transport group and other residents in the vicinity of Paddington
station, Mrs Black, Mr Fitzgerald and Mr Shepherd. Mr Walton very
kindly passed his opening to me earlier today so I will not steal
his thunder but essentially his concerns relate to three matters.
He has concerns about the long-term solution for taxis serving
the area, concerns relating to bus routing and the location of
stands and stops during the construction of Crossrail and matters
relating to noise. That is a very brief overview of the points
which are going to be made.
11867. Chairman: My apologies for getting
you mixed up with Mr Mould.
11868. Mr Taylor: There was reason for
it.
11869. Chairman: Mr Walton, would you
like to present your cases.
11870. Mr Walton: Thank you, Sir. My
name is John Walton. I live at 70 Gloucester Terrace, W2 3HH which
is in Bayswater, and is two blocks away from Paddington station.
I am the secretary of Paddington Residents' Active Concern and
transport usually known as PRACT and they have appointed me as
their agent. PRACT is a consortium of four major Paddington residents
groups and its objectives cover major transport projects such
as this one. May I say also that we are grateful to the committee
for hearing us on the second evening and you must have had a hell
of a week!
11871. Chairman: You would not believe
how hectic it has been.
11872. Mr Walton: I was here this morning
but not this afternoon. I hope you bear with us after what has
been a long day. It is evident that I am not a lawyer so I hope
that you will bear with me on matters of procedure where I go
wrong. I am not an engineer either, however, I did hear in Mr
Murchie's evidence this morning there was mention of matters which
rather set the scene for traffic around Paddington, mainly the
Heathrow Express Rail Bill and the public inquiry into the opening
of terminal five at Heathrow and I represented PRACT in both Houses
on the Heathrow Express railway project and at the terminal five
inquiry. You mentioned the three individual petitioners who have
appointed me as their agent. I intend to call only one witness,
Mr John Zamit, who is the chairman of one of the four major community
societies which formed PRACT and this is the one area closest
to Crossrail.
11873. We have distributed two maps taken from
the Environmental Statement, I think both are on the system. We
have added numbers from one to 19 on these which I hope will assist
you to identify on the maps the points which we will be mentioning.
I am very glad that the Committee was able to visit Paddington
yesterday nevertheless it does not necessarily need to know exactly
where Praed Street is, for instance. The maps which we have distributed
cover much the same area as the two maps in the submission documents
for your site visit yesterday. They are called PRACT one and two
and there is an index called PRACT three.
11874. Chairman: For the record this
is A131.[32]
11875. Mr Walton: If I may there is a
fourth document, Chairman, which press cutting, which we will
come to in the evidence of Mr Zamit. The route of Crossrail going
from east to west passes through PRACT's area from the Northern
boundary at Hyde Park which is point number one on the first map,
two, a footbridge over the mainline railway which you saw yesterday
which is about half way between Royal Oak Station and the Paddington
New Yard site.[33]
All these route sections are within the City of Westminster. PRACT's
area includes a tunnelled section beneath a quiet residential
area, the underground station of Crossrail at Paddington, the
western portal and a section of surface railway. Taking the route
in this order, there is first for us the question of groundborne
noise and vibration from trains in tunnels. I know you have a
lot of evidence about this and I do not propose to call a witness
on this question but I will, if I may, make a brief statement
on behalf of residents in support of the position of the London
Local Authorities including Westminster City Council on this matter.
Now seems a better time for me to do this than in my closing statement
so the promoters have a chance to respond if they wish. I have
read the transcript of the expert evidence given to you on February
8 and 9 and also that of your hearing on 30 March of another group
of residents who live in Bathurst Mews. Bathurst Mews is point
three on the first map. I hope I am correct in saying that this
evidence reveals a number of key points. First the local authorities
seek a more stringent base standard. There is some disagreement
about the additional cost of the local authorities counter-proposal
but their position is that the additional costs are relatively
small. Their position is also that site specific measures, when
there are special needs or problems, should start from this more
stringent base standard. Second comes the important question of
maintenance of the track so that the initial level of noise transmission
is adhered to. I understand that there is common ground on the
importance of this but we do seek an assurance that the operators
of the railway will be legally bound to keep noise levels below
the agreed standard at all times.
11876. Third comes the question of how all this
applies to the Paddington/Hyde Park area. The stretch of tunnelled
railway between the Crossrail station at Paddington and the point
where the underground railway passes underneath the edge of Hyde
Park, again that is point number one on the map, is a very short
stretch less than a half a kilometre long. This area is also very
quiet and is virtually wholly residential. The tunnels are relatively
shallow. We submit therefore that the transmission of noise and
vibration needs to be kept at a very low level there. I note that
on 30 March you, Sir, assuming that you were the Chairman on that
day, summed up in paragraph 6307 by asking the promoters to continue
efforts to come to an agreement with the petitioners from Bathurst
Mews on the question of a letter of comfort setting out the Secretary
of State's position so that there should be no misunderstanding
leading to unnecessary blight. I hope, Sir, that the promoters
will also approach the other affected petitioners whom I represent
with a letter of comfort and indeed any other residents who are
affected in the same way.
11877. That brings me to the end of an attempt
to outline the import for Paddington petitioners of the evidence
already given to you, which I hope has not been too tedious. Now
comes something which perhaps is in the nature of new evidence
of a site-specific kind. It appears to us that there is a technical
reason for greater protection from the impact of the tunnels in
this short section of railway. I represent Mr Fitzgerald and he
lives on the northern side of Sussex Square, which is point number
two on the first map. He tells me that this is a modern block
of flats and it was "built on stilts". I take this to
mean that it is built on what is often called piled foundations.
Thus the transmission of vibration could be a particular problem.
I believe that it is agreed that measures such as floating slab
track are necessary in special circumstances, including buildings
with piled foundations.
11878. Before calling Mr Zamit, may I please
raise a procedural matter. In our main petition we have made representations
about the footbridge across the railway which I have referred
to and these representations have been overlaid by the Amendment
of Provisions number two of May 2006 and in the accompanying Environmental
Statement there is reference to a new proposal to lengthen that
footbridge. PRACT have recently submitted a petition against the
additional provision and I was initially uncertain at what point
I should address the issues raised in the petition against the
additional provision. I believe, however, we are now asked to
address the situation including the Amendment of Provisions number
two. Assuming that this is right I will ask Mr Zamit to cover
this matter in his evidence. One of our troubles and this touches
on ---
11879. Chairman: Sorry to interrupt you
but in response to your query as I understand it, it has just
now concluded the timescale. You have had your response, is that
correct?
32 Committee Ref: A131, Exhibits of Paddington Resident's
Active Concern on Transport (PRACT), Rodney Fitzgerald, Katie
Black and John Shepherd. Back
33
Committee Ref: A131, City of Westminster Plan- Paddington to
Hyde Park (PRACT1) (WESTCC-1205-001). Back
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