Examination of Witnesses (Questions 13300
- 13319)
13300. MS KHELA: Are you ready, Mr Berryman,
to answer some questions?
(Mr Berryman) Sorry?
13301. Are you ready to answer some questions?
(Mr Berryman) Yes.
13302. You will recall on 12 March 2008 when
Mr Horton said two of these—and I am referring to this map
which is Crossrail Eastern Portal Bow Triangle Option.
(Mr Berryman) Yes, that is a map that I just put up a few
moments ago myself.
13303. Can you confirm when this map was supplied
to residents in Spitalfields?
(Mr Berryman) I do not know the answer to that offhand. It
was fairly late in the piece. I ought to explain the reason for
that—
13304. I did not ask you the reason for it.
(Mr Berryman) Oh, you did not ask for the reason.
13305. I am asking you when it was supplied?
(Mr Berryman) I do not know the date; it was fairly late
in the process.
13306. MR ELVIN: It was January 2007.
13307. MS KHELA: Was it consulted upon as part
of the route?
(Mr Berryman) I am sorry, could you repeat the question?
13308. The preferred route consultation that
took place, was this map consulted upon?
(Mr Berryman) No, it was not. This had already been rejected
by the time that took place.
13309. Was it consulted upon when the WHRA appeared
on 21 of June 2006 at the Commons?
(Mr Berryman) No, it was not consulted on by anybody except
internally within the project.
13310. I now turn to 12 March 2008, paragraph
3880.[17]
Two of these, A and B—I am referring to this map—will
permit an additional Crossrail station at Whitechapel and then
the next sentence, "No specific design has been developed
for the station" and then the next paragraph, "Alignments
B and C would pass below known piled buildings and proposed developments
just east of Bishopsgate. A planning application has recently
been submitted, but subsequently withdrawn for a site including
Stone House and Staple Hall. This site is directly over the westbound
tunnel of Alignment B. A further site immediately to the south
is subject to a proposed 50-storey office development directly
over the westbound tunnel of Alignment C. That is almost entirely
outside the limit of land subject to consultation in the Crossrail
safeguarding direct. The Crossrail project has already indicated
that it does not wish to comment upon this planning application.
Currently this application has been called in. For these reasons
neither of these alignments have been considered in any detail.
I do not know whether that corresponds to the explanation given
orally to the Committee, but as I understand it, seven years ago
that is why these alignments were at the outset not taken further".
13311. At the same hearing, as I have identified,
Mr Horton also questioned whether the Heron Tower conflicted but,
Mr Berryman, you chose not to appear on that day, did you not?
You did not answer any questions. You have chosen to appear today
when those people are not present to answer those piled questions.
Is that correct? You did not choose to appear, can you explain
why you did not appear?
13312. CHAIRMAN: Ms Khela, it is not
a question of whether he chooses to appear, it is whether he is
called as a witness. Please do not impugn things against him.
13313. MS KHELA: Well he did not appear.
13314. CHAIRMAN: Well maybe not, but
he was not called as a witness. If you wanted him as a witness
I have no doubt he would have been available.
13315. MS KHELA: That is a bit of information
that we were not told. We were advised we could only call witnesses
if the Promoter's Counsel had called him and then he could be
examined. He has only appeared today, hence why I had the opportunity
to examine him.
13316. CHAIRMAN: You now have him there
as a witness, why do you not ask him the questions you want.
13317. MS KHELA: I would just like to make that
very clear. I have not got the pile data with me and I am very
reluctant to ask questions when I do not have the relevant data
with me and advice on that issue. Had Mr Berryman appeared with
Mr Schabas back in January when we raised this issue initially
or, indeed, on 12 March, this issue could have been dealt with
very adequately. I am not in a position to do so at present.
13318. CHAIRMAN: If you do not want to
ask him any questions he can withdraw.
13319. MS KHELA: No, I have one other issue.
I would like to put the Mott McDonald report forward. This was
produced in 2002. [18]
17 Uncorrected transcript of oral evidence taken before
the House of Lords Select Committee on the Crossrail Bill on 12
March 2008, Para 3880 Back
18
Committee Ref: A69, Para 4.2 Bow Triangle Issues, Mott MacDonald
Report, February 2002 (SCN-20080508-014) Back
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