(a) The Bill will grant deemed planning permission
for the construction of Crossrail and other associated and enabling
works. The Bill will also remove the need for listed building
consent under Section 8 of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation
Areas) Act 1990.
(b) The Bill will provide for the demolition,
alteration or extension of the listed buildings specified in the
Bill where this is necessary to construct the scheme and it removes
the need to obtain conservation area consent under Section 74
of the 1990 Act, for the demolition of buildings and other structures
specified in the Bill within designated conservation areas where
this is necessary to construct Crossrail and the other associated
and enabling works.
(c) The Bill will confer powers of compulsory
acquisition or temporary possession of the land needed to construct
Crossrail and it authorises the stopping up or closure of highways
and other public thoroughfares both permanently and temporarily,
and the alteration of highways.
(d) The Bill also gives the Promoter enabling
rights to use certain rail facilities to be taken, or varied,
for the purposes of providing Crossrail services; it authorises
interference with navigable waterways; and it confers other powers
required in connection with the construction and operation of
Crossrail and other associated and enabling works.
(e) There are provisions in the Bill that will
deem planning permission to be granted for the authorised works,
but such permission is to be subject to conditions requiring the
approval of the local planning authority for certain matters of
detail. The extent of matters subject to approval under these
conditions will depend upon whether the local planning authority
is a 'qualifying authority', that is, has given an undertaking
to the Secretary of State about the way in which it will handle
applications for approval of details. For qualifying authorities,
the matters subject to approval will include certain construction
arrangements. Where works affect highways, the Bill will also
provide for certain matters to be subject to the approval of the
relevant highway authority.
8. In short, the Bill provides the legislative
framework to allow the construction of Crossrail. It amends existing
powers, where the Promoter deems necessary, to ensure the construction
and operation of the proposed transport scheme.