Examination of Witnesses (Questions 2120
- 2139)
2120. CHAIRMAN: Thank you.
2121. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: That
would be appreciated.
2122. LORD YOUNG OF NORWOOD GREEN: I
am seeking confirmation. As I understand, being a governor of
my local primary school, in fact there are not lots of exits and
entrances on schools these days. Because of security, in my experience
there are one or two entrances at the most to ensure we do not
get the problems that Lord James has raised. That is one thing.
We had the advantage of looking at Swanlea School and seeing some
of these lorry movements. My only doubt is, observing as I do
because I live near my local primary school, in fact the traffic
flow of children into the school is probably a bit longer than
30 minutes in some cases, but I notice you have written in anyway,
it is the subject of local consultation.
2123. MR DRABBLE: It is to be subject
to local consultation. As I understand the undertaking we have
been looking at, a guarantee of a minimum period of 30 minutes
but the detail of how it works in relation to each school is a
matter for local consultation. Your Lordship will appreciate that,
quite apart from Tower Hamlets' involvement in its petition, there
have been direct discussions between the school and the Promoter
because your Lordships will have seen on site there are some very
real issues about the relationship of the school to the work site
and matters of that sort, but there have been school to Promoter
discussions in some detail.
2124. BARONESS FOOKES: Will the arrangements
that are being made in a detailed way include the possibility
that parts of the school may come out within the basic school
hours, perhaps for swimming or for other reasons or for outings,
because you could have a considerable movement of children within
the day as opposed to the opening and closing hours?
2125. MR DRABBLE: The formal answer is
that these matters are a matter for detailed discussion within
the terms of the undertaking. I am being told from behind that
if we are talking about the specific example of Swanlea there
are three school entrances and those behind me anticipate that
it will work by using one of the entrances that do not relate
to the construction route if pupil movements are necessary when
the lorry movements are going on. As I understand the structure
of the undertaking, it is that sort of issue which is to be teased
out at the local level between the schools' working group.
2126. BARONESS FOOKES: As long as it
is I am content.
2127. MR DRABBLE: Yes.
2128. LORD BROOKE OF ALVETHORPE: Mr Drabble,
could I have a look again, please, at the photograph of the Whitechapel
Station? If I may just again say that I was aghast to learn on
the visit that in fact that building is to remain standing when
the new entrance is constructed, and I thought that if we were
doing this in Mayfair I am quite sure it would not remain.
2129. MR DRABBLE: I can only comment
that I should have called you as a witness!
2130. LORD YOUNG OF NORWOOD GREEN: There
is not much snooker in Mayfair!
2131. LORD BROOKE OF ALVETHORPE: Not
many McDonald's either! You are anxious to ensure that access
is as visible as possible to the new station and particularly
for people coming across from the hospital. You said you would
like our support; would you like to say a little bit more about
that and elaborate and say in which way you think that this Committee
might give support?
2132. MR DRABBLE: My Lord, it is outside
the limit of deviation. The Petitioner failed in the Commons.
The only point of making the comments that I have made, rather
than submissions, is that if an issue does come up in relation
to anybody else's Petition we would very much wish to have borne
in mind the sensitivity of this issue. I do not think I can take
it any further than that.
2133. CHAIRMAN: Do you have any compulsory
purchase powers that you could use? I imagine probably not because
it would fall within the Town and Country Planning Act.
2134. MR DRABBLE: We would have the normal
powers available for the compulsory acquisition for the proper
planning of the area, but whether or not there is such a case
is not a matter on which I can comment.
2135. CHAIRMAN: You have not discussed
that?
2136. MR DRABBLE: No.
2137. LORD BROOKE OF ALVETHORPE: Lord
Chairman, I was surprised to hear that you have not entered into
separately, even though it was a deviation outside of the Bill,
to some form of development there, maybe in a PPP, maybe even
with Crossrail or with other developers, that simultaneously could
be developed alongside the erection of the new entrance to the
station.
2138. MR DRABBLE: The debate in the other
place was about whether or not it is properly to be seen as part
of the station project because our case was that the construction
of a modern station facility in this location demands effectively
what your Lordship is putting, a visible entrance as part of proper
station planning, and that was the case that was rejected and
we have not renewed the Petition in this place, but we still regard
the issue as a real issue, and I do not think I can take it any
further than that.
2139. CHAIRMAN: I do not think we can
either if it is not within the limits of deviation.
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