Community fears on Crossrail compensation

• I WRITE in connection with the concern expressed as to the fair treatment of residents and businesses affected by Crossrail particularly relating to the acquisition of the Tottenham Court Road western ticket hall site in and around Dean Street where there are a multiplicity of small individual owners and occupiers.
While Westminster supports Crossrail and fully recognises the long-term economic benefit that the project will bring it is also essential to recognise that the West End has many small businesses employing people, contributing to the local community and economy and facing issues of uncertainty in the current business climate.
However only a small number have had to face the additional uncertainty of enforced relocation of their homes and businesses and it is important, in a fair society, that where they are being asked individually to give up their rights they are compensated on a fair and transparent basis as set out in the compensation code.
A significant number of residents and businesses have said that they do not believe this to be the case and are concerned that the acquiring authority who are buying in their interest under compulsory purchase powers are seeking to do so on terms which do not fully reflect the market value of the property and the costs required in relocation or the letter and spirit of the compensation code.
Those concerns extend not just to the sums of money involved but also to the timing of the agreement and payment of such sums so as to minimise the uncertainty and interruption to the businesses and residents concerned.
Westminster will be supporting residents and businesses in their attempts to ensure they are dealt with fairly and we will be holding the acquiring authority to formal account at a meeting of the relevant scrutiny committee due to take place on March 17.
While there may ultimately be a greater good for all in the Crossrail scheme it does not excuse a misuse of statutory powers so that the rights of individual residents and businesses are ignored.
CLLR JONATHAN GLANZ
Conservative, West End ward