Crossrail must stick to new start date, says City of London

Planning and transportation committee chairman Christopher Hayward (pictured) said that in order to maintain public confidence, the delayed project must be delivered at the next announced date.

His comments followed Crossrail chairman Tony Meggs telling MPs that a new timeframe for the opening would be given in April “within a range” that would narrow over time, as work progressed.

This week, Transport for London confirmed it expected an announcement next month, as it revealed it had lost £600m in revenue due to project delays.

Literature aimed at investors at the recent MIPIM property conference in France highlighted the impact that the Elizabeth line would have on the City of London.

In an interview with Construction News about the city’s expansion plans, the new line – which will have three stations in the Square Mile – was one of the first things Mr Hayward mentioned.

The former managing director of construction firm the Hayward Group outlined how the number of daily commuters into the area was set to approach 600,000, with Crossrail estimating an additional 60,000 to 70,000 people arriving per day.

CN asked whether this meant that, given the Elizabeth line had been due to open in December 2018, its own growth plans had been hit.

“It’s not caused any delays other than really to the public realm around those stations – and there will be some fantastic realm around Farringdon, Moorgate and Liverpool Street,” said Mr Hayward.

“We’re disappointed, but what we want to know is, when the next announcement comes, that it will actually be stuck to.”

The City of London Corporation contributed £200m to the £18bn project, but does not have a seat on its board.

Mr Hayward acknowledged that passenger safety had to take priority on the large infrastructure project, but added: “What’s important in terms of public confidence is the next date that’s given has to be the final date, and they have to deliver against that.”

With 1.13m sq m of office floorspace under construction in the City, the need for extra rail capacity is pressing.

“Take something like 22 Bishopsgate,” he said. “That’s going to take 14,000 workers, and when everybody pours out of there to get the Tube, you’ve got to manage the flows of people.

“We just want to get [the Crossrail links] open as soon as we can.”

The City’s growth aims are large and include plans for several new skyscrapers, in addition to 22 Bishopsgate.

It is envisaged that the space between 20 Fenchurch Street (commonly known as the Walkie Talkie) and the Leadenhall Building (the Cheesegrater) will be filled with a series of tall buildings.

The corporation also plans to spend up to £2.3bn on four major capital projects in the next decade.

These include a new home for the Museum of London, an opera house on the museum’s current site adjoining the Barbican, new court and police buildings on Fleet Street, and the relocation of Smithfield market.

The corporation is considering moving the Billingsgate, New Spitalfields and Smithfield markets to land it owns in Barking and Dagenham, and combining them on one site.

“Those projects alone are the biggest capital programme the city will have ever engaged in, which I think shows our confidence in the city,” said Mr Hayward.

“We’re making all that investment because we see all that continuing expansion.”