Examination of Witnesses (Questions 7440
- 7459)
7440. MS LIEVEN: My Lord, that is a major
reason why the undertaking is in the form, because the honest
truth is it is extremely difficult to know what mitigation measures
will be needed when we do not know what is happening with the
Thames Gateway Bridge and we also do not know with any certainty
what is happening with the Greenwich riverside transit scheme,
which was mentioned this morning. So there are too many uncertainties
round there for it to be possible to fix at this stage and say:
"We will put bollards here; we will widen there; we will
do this, we will do that".
7441. CHAIRMAN: Let alone, presumably,
what transpires as a result of the reopening of the inquiry.
7442. MS LIEVEN: Absolutely. Self-evidently
we cannot know that. Until those matters are settled we cannot
fix on definite transport mitigation measures, and that is why
Bexley and Greenwich have been happy to take it forward in this
way, which is to discuss matters further over coming months and
years as various matters become decided.
7443. CHAIRMAN: So the undertaking applies
whatever the event?
7444. MS LIEVEN: Absolutely.
7445. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: Can we
have the map back for a moment, please. Ms Lieven, for clarification
is that effectively a bridge going from the A2 or the M2 in the
south to the A12 on the north of the river?[65]66
7446. MS LIEVEN: No, I do not think so,
my Lord, because the A2 is well to the south. I think this might
be a corner of the A2 down here.
7447. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: Can we
identify what the roads are?
7448. MS LIEVEN: Not off this plan but
I have got an A-Z.
7449. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: I do
not mean by name, I mean by number. They are major roads and it
would pin them in our minds if we knew actually what that was
connecting. We need to know what it is connecting up.
7450. MS LIEVEN: If we go to Exhibit
5, I did not use this one because you cannot actually see the
Thames Gateway Bridge on it.[66]67
I do not know if your Lordships have got your hard copies in front
of you, but the Thames Gateway Bridge comes into this roundabout
here, so the main dual carriageway there running east to west
is the A2016.
7451. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: And the
northern side of the river?
7452. MS LIEVEN: Mr Berryman tells me
that it links in on the north side of the river to the North Circular.
7453. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: That
is a very important factor. Can we get the map back up?
7454. MR CARRIER: Ms Lieven, Exhibit
8 does show a route through to the A2 but it is long distance,
as you rightly pointed out.
7455. MS LIEVEN: If we go back to Exhibit
3 for a moment. This is the A406.
7456. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: Which
does have a direct connection with the A12?
7457. MS LIEVEN: Yes, which itself goes
up to the A12. Once you are on the North Circular you can go almost
anywhere.
7458. CHAIRMAN: I think what happened
was that the original idea was that the North Circular Road was
going to be extended across the river more or less on a direct
line due south and then it was going to through an historic wood
on the top of the hill.
7459. MS LIEVEN: This may be the famous
Oxlees Wood, my Lord.
65 66 Committee Ref: A38, Crossrail and Thames Gateway
Bridge-Proposed Alignments (BEXYLB-4_04-003) Back
66
67 Committee Ref: A38, Abbey Wood Highway Network showing boundary
of existing CPZ scheme (BEXYLB-4_04-005) Back
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