Select Committee on Crossrail Bill Minutes of Evidence


Examination of Witnesses (Questions 16590 - 16599)

Ordered: that Counsel and Parties be called in.

  16590. Chairman: The Committee has commenced. Today we are hearing petitions, firstly, of Mr John Payne and then from The Open Spaces Society and The Ramblers Association.



The Petition of Mr John Payne

The Petitioner appeared in person

  16591. Chairman: Ms Lieven?

  16592. Ms Lieven: Mr Mould is doing this one, sir.

  16593. Mr Mould: Sir, Mr Payne is the owner of a residential property at 22 Stanhope Terrace, that is the property which you see shaded in brown with the number 195 on the plan in front of you.[1] It lies, as you see, just to the north of the Bayswater Road in Bayswater and it is a property beneath which the running tunnels of the railway, particularly the eastbound running tunnel, are proposed to be located at a tunnel depth of approximately 26 metres below ground level.


  16594. My understanding is that Mr Payne is raising concerns about the design of the railway in relation to groundborne noise and also is going to revisit the question of alternative alignments for the central section of the railway. I believe that Mr Winbourne is here again to say something about that. So far as the first issue is concerned, the Committee has heard extensively from Mr Rupert Thornley-Taylor. He is here again today if we need to hear more from him. I rather think we may not, but we will hear what the Petitioner says on that. I should say that predicted groundborne noise from the operation of the railway on the assumption of the design and maintenance of the railway, in accordance with the undertakings which we have given and with which the Committee is now very familiar, is at a level which is below 30 dB(A)LAmaxS.

  16595. Mr Mould: In relation to the issue of alternative alignments, the Committee has heard in response to the Residents Association of Mayfair's Petition back in the spring extensive evidence from Mr Berryman on the work which had been done in relation that and other alternatives, and I can give the references to that evidence in due course when we have heard from the Petitioner. That is all I propose to say.

  16596. Chairman: Mr Payne, you worried me greatly when you first came in this morning with that huge bag; I thought it was full of evidence. I hope it is not, because we have already heard quite a lot on the Paddington area on groundborne noise in that area, so it is really down to you to present the case in the best way that you can.

  16597. Mr Payne: Thank you very much, sir. Sir, I am John Payne. I am Chairman of the Hyde Park and Stanhope Terrace Residents Association and Chairman and shareholder of the company which owns the freehold of the land and buildings known as 25-31 Hyde Park Gardens and 22-35 Stanhope Terrace W2. I will refer to this as "the estate". I live at 23 Stanhope Terrace, a lower ground floor flat.

  16598. The estate consists of originally a terraced block of houses surrounded by gardens and vaults. It was constructed circa 1830s of brick with stucco finish and it was converted in the 1950s to form eight apartments on five floors plus a deep residential basement. The footings are of stepped-out brickwork. It is an impressive listed building situated on the edge of Hyde Park and within a conservation area. A copy of an illustrated article in the Architect Building News dated 28 May 1953 describes the block and its conversion in some detail. It is in my accompanying exhibits. The freeholders acquired utilising the leasehold format 1993 two years ago after a lengthy battle of 10 years with the Church Commissioners. Your Petitioner has sought an undertaking from the Promoter to use floating slab track in the construction of the railway as a measure to mitigate the effects of groundborne noise and vibration in the tunnelling below the estate if the scheme should go ahead. This is not likely to be sufficient in any event so I am advised, as you will hear shortly. There is potential for direct and continuing damage to our buildings which will only be about 16 metres above the works. This is contrary to the impressions given out by Crossrail along the route. I am advised that Crossrail calculations forwarded to me require detailed examinations. Your Petitioner has considered for some time that there is a better route for the central London section linking the stations of Paddington, Farringdon and Liverpool Street. I am aware of the long-standing outlying plans for the northern interchange route.

  16599. I have here with me in support my neighbour, Martin Horgan. I attended the hearing of Petition number 326 of Mrs Marina Morrison-Atwater and the Residents' Society of Mayfair and St. James. As a result I have been able to compress the delivery of my Petition taking advantage of some of their evidence. I have deposited, with your Clerk, copies of annex papers in a ring book together with those of Mr Winbourne. I shall call Mr Norman Winbourne FRICS as my expert witness. You have already had his extended qualifications before you for petition 326. Can I call Mr Winbourne.

  Mr Norman Winbourne, recalled

  Examined by Mr Payne



1   Crossrail Ref: P117, Location of Petitioner, 22 Stanhope Terrace (WESTCC-35903-001). Back


 
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