Labour Councillors oppose massive Crossrail lorry traffic through Paddington streets

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Labour Councillors oppose massive Crossrail lorry traffic through Paddington streets

By Westminster Labour ⋅ October 20, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
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Councillors support unique ‘Big Table’ local furniture business under threat from Crossrail.

Westminster Labour Councillors have raised strong objections to Crossrail plans to bring the massive concrete tunnel segments into the Westbourne Park area with 140 lorries a day travelling through neighbouring residential streets for 18 months. Labour say that this is contrary to the original understanding that all the tunnel segments would all come in and out of the site by rail and is in addition to the problems currently being caused now by heavy lorries travelling along Great Western Road.

Existing problems are being caused by the Tarmac cement site adjacent to the Westbourne Park Bus garage which used to have their raw materials delivered by rail. However, this has now stopped and has been replaced by truck deliveries which, in order to pass down Elgin Avenue and Chippenham Road to reach Harrow Road, are crossing the canal bridge on Great Western Road which has a 7.5 ton prohibition. The outgoing cement trucks have ignored this restriction for years, but this is now becoming even more frequent, so much so that there is evidence of damage to the road surface and corners.

Labour Councillors say that they will oppose Crossrail’s forthcoming application for exemption from a right turn ban at the Prince of Wales junction for segment deliveries. If granted, this exemption will open the floodgates for hundreds of heavy lorries each week through residential areas.

Westbourne Ward Labour Councillor Papya Qureshi said; “These appalling proposals are directly contrary to the original understanding that all the materials would come in and out of the site by rail. We will be making the strongest possible objections to the Crossrail plans which threaten the residential amenity of thousands of residents.”

Labour Councillors are also opposing plans to demolish “The Big Table” furniture shop and workshop on the Great Western Road, immediately to the left of Westbourne Park tube station, in order to make room for a sub-station. It is one of the few places in London where the retail section and manufacturing are under one roof and it employs up to 10 people. A local landmark, it was built by the Temperance Society as a tea room, and it would be a real loss if it were to be demolished.

Murad Qureshi, Labour GLA member, said; “l cannot see why both can’t be accommodated on the same site, with the sub-station going in the backyard along the rail line itself. Better still why not further down the line nearer to the point at which the Cross rail tunnel actually begins? The building has clearly survived other major works around it, for example when the Westway was literally built over it in the late 1960?s, so l simply cannot see why this historic local landmark and business has to be demolished, at a cost of local jobs and heritage.”

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