‘Unhelpful’ Crossrail told to improve local relations - Criticism for bosses following evictions of Soho/Westminster residents and businesses
Published: 26 February 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM
CROSSRAIL bosses have been heavily criticised for the way businesses and residents in Soho and Paddington have been evicted to make way for the train route, writes Jamie Welham.
A report from the London Assembly Transport Committee said the company behind the £16 billion project, Crossrail Ltd, should improve relations with businesses and “raise their game” after the compulsory purchase of properties was “poorly handled”.
Around 300 businesses in total will be bought up along the route, dozens of them around Paddington and Tottenham Court Road underground stations.
It criticised the “bland, impersonal, unhelpful communication with businesses whose livelihoods were being affected”.
Businesses in London are contributing more than half of the funding for the project, with the other £8 billion coming from central government. While the report was broadly supportive of the need for the project, it questioned the logic of the payment arrangements.
It says: “It [London] is making arguably an unfair contribution to the project’s costs. This especially appears to be the case when compared with the contribution made by – and expected benefits accruing to – central government and areas on the route outside London.”
With residents in Soho and Fitzrovia already enduring bus diversions facing the arrival of hundreds of lorries when the digging begins, the report calls for disruption to be kept to a minimum.
Caroline Pidgeon, Chair of the Transport Committee said: “The onus on Crossrail Ltd is now to demonstrate that it can minimise the inevitable disruption building such a major infrastructure project will cause.”
Responding to the report, Crossrail chief executive Rob Holden said: “We note the committee’s recommendations and look forward to continuing our engagement with it and through the life of the project.”