Examination of Witnesses (Questions 5020
- 5039)
5020. MRS BRAWNE: Yes, I understand that.
May I return to my statement?
5021. CHAIRMAN: Yes.
5022. MRS BRAWNE: Thank you.
5023. MS JORDAN: I have one thing to
add to what Rose was saying. I think one of the problems here
is when we appeared in the Commons because we were all different
groups and we were not together as, if you like, a large mass
that we probably seem to be now, a lot of us were repeating what
previous people had spoken about and it got to a stage where we
just felt we could not say anything and probably in that respect
we have probably now got ourselves too laid back because we dare
not say anything and we are trying desperately not to overstate
things. I think if it appears that we are not interested --- I
do know that the message got to Mr Haque. My understanding was
that he was definitely going to appear and I think he is appearing
next week, but I am not quite sure what day. He will certainly
be here next week and I will take that message as well to people
that we should be actually --- We have probably missed it now
and I do think this is one of the problems that because when we
did appear in the Commons it got to the point we were being told
to shut up because we have heard it all before and we did not
want to hear it again. I suspect we are now at the position where
we dare not open our mouth outside what we had each decided that
we would consider. I think that is a problem.
5024. CHAIRMAN: What you have done between
you, very sensibly, is to concentrate on different issues so that
you do not repeat yourselves and it has been extremely helpful
and very effective. The sort of thing, however, that I find sad
is that when Professor Mair was here yesterday dealing in terms
with settlement on particular buildings which were mentioned by
Mr Wheeler there was nobody here to ask him questions.
5025. MS JORDAN: One of those buildings—Annetta
here—that was mentioned and we had a long discussion in
my office last night—
5026. CHAIRMAN: I cannot hear. It is
simply an example.
5027. MS JORDAN: I have to genuinely
say and this is an absolute tragedy because Annetta Pedretti here
is one of the owners of one of the buildings that was discussed
and she and I had a long discussion in my office last night about
it and she was going to write you a letter actually because we
decided that was the only way we could mention it, but we did
not know about the afternoon session and I am really sorry about
that. I cannot do anything about it retrospectively other than
maybe give you a letter now.
5028. CHAIRMAN: We will do our best to
continue to keep in touch with you about what is going to happen.
5029. DR PEDRETTI: Could I make the point,
on Tuesday—
5030. CHAIRMAN: Who are you?
5031. DR PEDRETTI: My name is Annetta
Pedretti. On Tuesday I believe Mr Wheeler referred to one internal
survey. It was 25 Princelet Street which is my building, do you
remember?
5032. LORD BROOKE OF ALVERTHORPE: Yes.
5033. DR PEDRETTI: I was at home listening
to this over the internet and I tried to write you a letter about
it and it just became too difficult to do that. The point is that
the internal survey was not an internal survey. I saw some people
in 2003 I think it was—it might have been 2002—out
in the street. They looked like and talked like people who were
on a conservation course. I trained as an architect. At the school
where I trained there was a conservation course. I assumed they
were students of architecture, studying these buildings and because
I have been restoring that building for the last 30 years I know
a lot about the area and I started explaining things to them out
in the street. Then I asked them if they wanted a booklet which
is a booklet on the Fournier Street conservation area which was
published by the Council in the 1970s and I lent them a copy of
that. In that context I asked them to come in and have a cup of
tea and find that copy. They promised to send me a copy of their
--- I assumed they were doing an essay for school. I got the booklet
back. There was a little card which had "Alan Baxter"
on it and I thought, "Oh!" This was in 2003 and we had
no idea that Crossrail was in any way investigating the area.
This is the nature of that supposed internal survey.
5034. CHAIRMAN: This was exactly why—
5035. DR PEDRETTI: I would have been
here if I realised I could, I tried to write you a letter. It
is not easy to write a letter out of the blue. I was before the
House of Commons Committee and made an absolute fool by a system
that was determined to misrepresent everything I tried to say.
I was not about to engage in this process again because I have
had the last four years of my life trying to cope with the fact
that something that is supposed to be a public project does not
have any aspect of public interest in it and that I was only allowed
to discuss this public project as a private property owner. I
had great difficulty in dealing with the concept of the hybrid
bill being applied to a railway—I am a great fan of railways—and
there I was having to use features of my building to discuss something
which was totally--- In terms of my particular outlook I had great
problems with the process. I am, incidentally, one of the people
who will be represented by Mr Haque because I chose that to be
the most effective way to communicate with you for my personal
reasons. I understand from this afternoon's session that you are
much more interested than I thought you would be. That is my prejudice
and I am sorry.
5036. CHAIRMAN: We are sorry.
5037. DR PEDRETTI: We were so intimidated
in the House of Commons and not only there but on every occasion
when Crossrail actually did do things on site which, was very
late, after 2004 it started, every time you tried to communicate
with anybody from Crossrail and say, "Look, sorry, my buildings
don't have foundations", "Oh, they do have foundations"
would be somebody's opinion. They never wanted to take on board
the incredible knowledge we have about the area or about these
buildings. So the whole—
5038. CHAIRMAN: I will wait until you
finish and then I want to say something.
5039. DR PEDRETTI: I will finish.
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