Examination of Witnesses (Questions 7800
- 7819)
7800. The other concern raised by the Petitioners
relates to, I think, groundborne noise and vibration. These are
premises which will benefit from the installation of special track
form, floating slab track, throughout the studio land in Soho,
and our prediction is that that should cause the levels of noise
experienced from the operation of the railway beneath these premises
to be certainly no higher than the low 20s dB(LA)max, and our
discussions this morning while we have been outside in the corridor
have touched upon those matters.
7801. The other matter that I think Reverend
Adam Scott, who is appearing on behalf of the Petitioners today,
may raise before your Lordships concerns the ability of the trustees
to secure compliance with undertakings and assurances given to
the Trust in the very unlikely event that in future years of operation
of the railway the then appointed nominated undertaker should
experience some financial difficulties or become insolvent or
something of that kind. I will not say anything more about that
at the moment; I think it is best if he sets out what his concerns
are in relation to that and then I shall explain what our position
is in relation to that when your Lordships are clear as to the
nature of those points. Unless there is anything else at this
stage, I think that is sufficient to introduce you to this Petition.
7802. CHAIRMAN: That is a very useful
introduction and I hope that has been helpful to the Petitioners.
Would you like a break now?
7803. MR SCOTT: We have provided some
pictures which start in 12 of a walk-through from Manette Street
to Soho Square, and it may be helpful if I take you swiftly through.
7804. CHAIRMAN: By all means.
7805. MR SCOTT: This photograph shows
the Chapel from the outside.[5]
It is very unusual in having a floor plan, derived from the abbey
of Montmajeur near Arles in France which dates from 1017, although
this chapel was not built until the 1860s. It is currently providing
a home to the Macedonian Orthodox Church, who find it very congenial
because it is very Byzantine in its look. If we go inside to the
next one it shows the sanctuary, and then if we step back and
look up, Hitler did not like some of the features of the Chapel
and tried adjusting them so it had to be restored in the 1950s.[6],[7]
Going through, we are very blessed in having a garden in Soho
and we attract quite a lot of interest.[8]
At the last open weekend two thousand visitors came, which almost
overwhelmed us.
7806. In terms of history, if we go to the next
photograph, we are the building where Sir Joseph Bazalgette designed
the sewers, and he wrecked this Georgian room by putting in this
wall so the plan for the sewers of London could be placed behind
them and, although that spoils the Georgian room, it is a wall
of some historic significance.[9]
7807. This is the plasterwork about which you
have heard in the main hall.[10]
The cantilevered staircase runs up to that, and we can see the
fine plasterwork in this silk hung bedroom, and in the first floor
Council Room.[11],[12]
It is not easy to see her but the Rococo plasterwork on the ceiling
there is one of the finest features, and no doubt you will be
hearing or asking more about that in a moment. We use these rooms
to make money for the charity by holding events in them.
7808. If we go to the last of the pictures,
this is the view from Soho Square.[13]
In structural terms you will see that we do not have support on
these two sides, we are a corner building rather than being in
the middle of a terrace, and the station platform is immediately
below that building and offset, as you have seen from the previous
diagram, from the Chapel.
7809. So that is a quick walkthrough and I will
hand over now to my fellow Petitioner, David Monro.
7810. CHAIRMAN: Are you ready to go ahead,
then?
7811. MR SCOTT: Yes.
7812. CHAIRMAN: Good. Let's do so.
7813. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: I have
a question: looking at the pictures you have just put up, I am
intrigued by the variety of floors. You have gone from one of
what looks like very fancy ceramics to one that looks as though
it is a late replacement wooden floor for something which has
been destroyed previously. Could you exactly explain those floors
and what vulnerability they have, and how did the wooden floor
come to be there because what was there before got destroyed,
and why?
7814. MR SCOTT: I think Richard Garnier
may be in a better position than me to answer this. Some of the
floors have got superimposed modern flooring in that in the Chapel
the ceramics were partly damaged during the 1939-45 War, though
large areas of them are intact.
7815. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: I should
perhaps state that I am a sort of minor authority on medieval
ceramics, so start from there!
7816. MR SCOTT: This, remember, is a
Victorian interpretation --
7817. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: Rather
in the manner of Winchester Cathedral, would you say, where they
took out all the originals and put in their modern monstrosities
instead. Have you done the same?
7818. MR SCOTT: As far as I am aware
what you are looking at there is the original Victorian floor.[14]
It is partly damaged, though it is probably impossible for you
to see the damage there. I know where some of the damage is.
7819. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: The thrust
of my questioning is to establish if there is anything of his
significant historical value which may come under risk from this
left in the building now?
5 Committee Ref: A39, The Chapel in Manette Street
(WESTCC-36_05-013) Back
6
Committee Ref: A39, Mosaics in the Sancturary Apse (WESTCC-36_05-014) Back
7
Committee Ref: A39, Post-War Glass and Crucifix (WESTCC-36_05-015) Back
8
Committee Ref: A39, Chapel from the Garden (WESTCC-36_05-016) Back
9
Committee Ref: A39, Sir Joseph Bazalgette's Room (WESTCC-36_05-017) Back
10
Committee Ref: A39, 1750s Plasterwork in the Hall (WESTCC-36_05-018) Back
11
Committee Ref: A39, Plasterwork in the Bedroom (WESTCC-36_05-019) Back
12
Committee Ref: A39, First Floor (WESTCC-36_05-020) Back
13
Committee Ref: A39, The House from Soho Square (WESTCC-36_05-021) Back
14
Crossrail Ref: P53, 1 Greek Street-Phase 3 Stage 1 Iteration
Reports, p1201 (WESTCC-36_05-005) Back
| 
