Crossrail Ref: CRL-00-103169

 

Dear Amanda Peck,

 

 

Thank you for your letter dated 6 March 2013 and the accompanying planning application documents relating to the above site, requesting the views of Crossrail Limited on the above application.

 

Crossrail is a proposed new railway that will link Heathrow and Maidenhead in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east using existing Network Rail tracks and new tunnels under Central London.

 

The Crossrail Bill which was introduced into Parliament by the Secretary of State for Transport in February 2005 was enacted as the Crossrail Act on the 22nd July 2008. The first stage of Crossrail preparatory construction works began in early 2009. Main construction works have started with works to the central tunnel section to finish in 2018, to be followed by a phased opening of services.

 

Crossrail Limited administers a Direction issued by the Department for Transport on 24th January 2008 for the safeguarding of the proposed alignment of Crossrail.

 

The site of this planning application is identified within the limits of land subject to consultation under the Safeguarding Direction.

 

The implications of the Crossrail proposals for the application have been considered and the detailed design of the proposed development needs to take account of the construction of Crossrail.

 

Therefore if, as the Local Planning Authority, you are minded to grant planning permission for the development, Crossrail Limited are of the view that the following condition[s] should be applied:

 

1. No works below ground level comprised within the development hereby permitted shall be undertaken at any time when Crossrail are undertaking tunnelling or shaft works within 100 metres of the land on which the development hereby permitted is situated, unless specifically agreed to in advance, and in writing, by Crossrail Limited.

 

The effect of this is that if you do not propose to give effect to this view and apply this condition on any permission you grant, your Authority may not grant permission on the application unless you have delivered to the Secretary of State the material specified in paragraph 6 of the Direction, and a period of 21 days has elapsed after all that material has been delivered so that the Secretary of State has an opportunity to decide whether to call it in.

 

Please note that we would be willing to discuss with the applicant amendments to the scheme that would enable the proposed development to go ahead without impeding the development of Crossrail.

 

It is hoped therefore that further technical work that is currently underway will enable Crossrail Limited to withdraw its objection to this planning application.  This may take some time and we may need to discuss possible solutions with your Local Authority and other third parties before the objection can be removed.

 

You may inspect and/or purchase copies of Plans, Sections, Environmental Statements, Explanatory Notes and Non-Technical Summaries pertaining to the Crossrail proposals at specified Libraries, Local Authority Offices or directly from Crossrail Limited at "28th Floor, 25 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5LQ".

 

In order for us to keep track of the progress of the application it would be most helpful if you could please forward the decision notice when available.

 

In addition, the latest project developments can be found on the Crossrail website www.crossrail.co.uk/safeguarding , which is updated on a regular basis.

 

I hope this information is helpful, but if you require any further assistance then please feel free to contact a member of the Safeguarding Team on 0345 602 3813, or by email to safeguarding@crossrail.co.uk

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Nafisa Yousaf

Stakeholder Administrator

 

Crossrail Helpdesk (24hr) - 0345 602 3813