Examination of Witnesses (Questions 7620
- 7639)
7620. MS LIEVEN: Yes, it will go down;
it will get better.
7621. LORD YOUNG OF NORWOOD GREEN: What
I cannot understand, and maybe it is me, is how Abbey Wood necessarily
impacts in relation to Ebbsfleet. I can understand the point about
Ebbsfleet attracting a lot of traffic anyway, but I cannot really
understand how it will impact from Abbey Wood.
7622. MS LIEVEN: My Lord, our case is
it will not, with all respect to Lord James's question. We do
not think there will be any material interaction between the two
at all, but I totally understand Lord James's question and we
will come back with a note to try to establish that to the best
of our abilities.
7623. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: Lord
Young, the point being that the car park accommodation at Ashford
has capacity for over 1,000 cars and by eight o'clock of every
morning is somewhere in the region of about three-quarters full,
so 700 or 800 cars are in, and that stays so until about eight
or nine o'clock at night. So those cars come from somewhere to
get to the Continent, and the same will apply coming into this
area. So if you introduce that number of extra cars coming in
to pick up Eurostar at the only other option they have got—that
is my point.
7624. CHAIRMAN: Mr Anderson, there is
going to have to be a major modelling exercise, is there not,
on all this traffic?
(Mr Anderson)
Correct.
7625. That will be part of the TIA.
(Mr Anderson) Correct, and that is part
of the work envisaged under the undertaking.
7626. It will include Lord James's point.
(Mr Anderson) We can certainly address
that point, yes.
7627. CHAIRMAN: Mr Carrier, you see what
you have stirred up! We have not previously discussed this part
of south-east London at all, so you have given us a great deal
of food for thought. However, you are perfectly entitled to ask
Mr Anderson questions of your own, and we will not interrupt any
more.
Cross-examined by MR
CARRIER
7628. MR CARRIER: Thank you, my Lord.
Hello, Mr Anderson.
(Mr Anderson)
Good morning.
7629. I understand that the traffic modelling
is under way. Is my understanding right that it will be ready,
approximately, in the summer?
(Mr Anderson) That is the timetable we
are working to at the moment. The traffic forecast being prepared
for the reopened Gateway Bridge Inquiry is in preparation and
as part of the undertaking we have agreed to use a common set
of modelling procedures. My understanding is that the summer is
when we can expect to start to see the outcome of that.
7630. BARONESS FOOKES: Not to finish?
(Mr Anderson)
No. I think the work will continue.
7631. MR CARRIER: Given that it will
be ready when you say, when do you anticipate that you will have
agreed with the Bexley and Greenwich Councils the road improvements
and indicative mitigation works that will be necessary in the
area?
(Mr Anderson)
That would take some time and it could be some time after that.
I would not want to pre-empt the discussions with the borough
or, indeed, what might emerge from the reopened inquiry into the
bridge. I think it has already been indicated there could be a
range of measures here, some of which could be attributable to
Crossrail and some to the bridge. So I think it could take some
time beyond this summer before we reach a final position on the
agreed mitigation. I would not like to offer a timescale on that,
at this stage.
7632. Thank you for that. I was wondering whether,
given that there are two councils involved—and it has not
been mentioned as yet although I did moot it in my evidence—is
there any possibility that the Promoter would plan road shows
or public consultation in the area? As I say, there are two councils
(and I have mentioned they are probably conflicting councils in
their political persuasions); is there any possibility, given
that it will be a terminus and two different council areas involved,
of public consultation as opposed to the consultation mentioned
by Ms Lieven when the various road proposals go through by the
respective councils? There will be the usual statutory procedures
to be followed but, basically, will there be public consultation
sponsored by Crossrail?
(Mr Anderson) There will certainly be
further consultation on the proposals for the railway as the design
develops and is implemented. I think in terms of specific consultation
in relation to the highway measures, that is something, again,
we would expect to agree with the local highway authorities involved—the
two boroughs that you have mentioned.
7633. BARONESS FOOKES: You have not answered
the point about the road shows, to which Mr Carrier has specifically
alluded.
(Mr Anderson)
I am not quite sure what is meant by "road shows". There
is a programme—I am afraid I have not got the details in
front of me—for further engagement with the local communities
affected by Crossrail on all the proposals, so I would have to
check how road shows fitted into that overall programme.
7634. I would presume that would be at a locality,
or a place, where maps and models could be shown and people on
hand who understand the scheme to explain it.
(Mr Anderson) Absolutely. There have been
a number of similar events in the run-up to the submission of
the Bill and, indeed, during it.
7635. MR CARRIER: My Lord, I have no
other questions for Mr Anderson.
7636. CHAIRMAN: No more? I am very glad
you have had the chance to ask some, anyway.
7637. MR CARRIER: Thank you, my Lord.
7638. CHAIRMAN: Anything to clear up?
Re-examined by MS
LIEVEN
7639. MS LIEVEN: Just a question of consultation,
Mr Anderson. I think we need to separate information that will
be provided to local communities about the Crossrail scheme—we
talked about this a great deal, my Lords will remember, in relation
to Kempton Court and the Whitechapel area. First of all, Mr Anderson,
will there be extensive information provided to local residents
(because there are going to be extensive works at Abbey Wood—nothing
to do with traffic; there is a complete rebuild of the station
and widening of it) in relation to the Crossrail works?
(Mr Anderson)
Yes, that is my understanding.
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