Examination of Witnesses (Questions 11200
- 11219)
11200. MS LIEVEN: I am very grateful,
my Lords, thank you very much.
11201. CHAIRMAN: You can get your coffee
somewhere else. We will do that, come back at half past 11.
At 10.40am Counsel and Parties are directed
to withdraw and at 11.30am are again called in
11202. CHAIRMAN: Shall we proceed? How
has that negotiation gone?
11203. MS LIEVEN: My Lords, I am happy
to say marvellously well. I am absolutely delighted, I have to
say, after I cannot remember how long we have been doing this,
that we have now, on this most complicated part of the scheme,
reached agreement with the local planning authority on all matters
that fall within our remit, which really is quite an achievement
because it has been a long and very complicated process.
11204. So, my Lords, I do not think there is
probably any need for me to say any more because the agreement
that we beat out this morning covers lots of terribly detailed
points which I do not think the Committee need to be told about
in any great detail. There is nothing to hide; it is just that
each one will take a long time to explain. There is one issue,
that of the Congestion Charge Zone, which I know that Westminster
do want to mention to the Committee, but I think both Westminster
and ourselves are clear that it is really not something within
the remit of Crossrail. I think Mr Clarkson just wants to mention
Westminster's position on it. Apart from that, can I thank the
Committee for your indulgence in giving us that time, and thank
Westminster for all the hard work that has gone into this agreement.
11205. CHAIRMAN: Mr Clarkson, you can
now do some hard work all on your own account.
11206. MR CLARKSON: All on my own, my
Lord. It is the loose end, inevitably, and slightly raised by
the Committee this morning and the question about the congestion
zone. Can I ask you to look at the document we have just had placed
before you?[8]
The genesis of the point is the House of Commons' Special Report.
It is the second paragraph down, and I will read it out just so
it is clear: "We asked that the Promoter liaise with the
Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) to seek a sensible
way forward on this matter with a view to the temporary or permanent
alteration of the boundary of the Congestion Zone to accommodate
a more friendly and sustainable use of the area", and "The
Committee accepts that any relocation of the boundary would be
a matter for TfL. However, as Crossrail is jointly promoted by
TfL we remain firmly of the view that this matter is within the
influence of the Promoter. We look to Crossrail and TfL to make
a sensible commitment to relocating the Congestion Zone boundary."
11207. I concede straightaway, on behalf of
the City Council, that we cannot ask the Committee to approve
any amendment of the CCZ boundary, but taking the House of Commons
Special Report and the TfL that you have in front of you, we do
ask that the Committee supports the contention that TfL, who of
course are responsible for the CCZ, be required fully to involve
the City Council in carrying out the unfinished studies into the
impact of any amendment to the boundary before they take any decision
whether to propose an amendment to the boundary or not. We want
to be involved. Previous TfL studies into the western extension
of the CCZ have not been subject to effective or timely liaison
and consultation with the City Council.
11208. My Lord, it shades between, of course,
the ordinary statutory requirements to consult, etc, for any CCZ,
but of course it follows from the promotion of the Bill, and that
is why it shades over into the Crossrail area.
11209. CHAIRMAN: Does not the congestion
charge require consultation with the City Council anyway?
11210. MR CLARKSON: It certainly would
at the end stage, my Lord, but what we want is to know what is
going on now because, as I say, it shades into the Crossrail areas
and we are interested in it now; we want up-front information.
It may be the opposite way round and they may do nothing, but,
again, we would want to know that.
11211. CHAIRMAN: It is not the best moment
to go and approach City Hall, is it?
11212. MR CLARKSON: My Lord, I do not
know.
11213. LORD YOUNG OF NORWOOD GREEN: Boris
did not mention it in his manifesto, that is true!
11214. MR CLARKSON: I do not think I
can comment on that, my Lord.
11215. CHAIRMAN: I just wonder what exactly
it is you want us to do.
11216. MR CLARKSON: My Lord, I think
the idea would be a repeat of that last sentence that you have
before you—
11217. CHAIRMAN: "Before a decision
can be taken"?
11218. MR CLARKSON: We look to TfL and
Crossrail to make a sensible commitment to informing and involving
Westminster prior to the decision as to exactly what is going
on about the congestion zone boundary. We want to be involved
now, whether they are going to change it or are not going to change
it, because it has implications for us in the City of Westminster
now.
11219. CHAIRMAN: Where is the congestion
zone boundary at the moment?
8 Committee Ref: A60, Eastbourne Terrace: Possible
Congestion Charging Zone Boundary Relocation (SCN-20080506-002) Back
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