6360. CHAIRMAN: Mr Knowles, you are for the SS Robin Trust.

  6361. MR KNOWLES: I am, my Lord.

  6362. CHAIRMAN: We have seen The Robin—most of us, anyway.

  6363. MR KNOWLES: I am delighted to hear that.

  6364. My Lord, with that thought in mind it may be that I can take a very few seconds indeed just to introduce this Petition. I do not think your Lordships' memory needs to be jogged really on this but you will recall that we have here a photograph of the northern part of the Isle of Dogs and the Canary Wharf development, and here we have the West India Quay.[13] You will remember we walked along the quay when we went on the site view. The SS Robin is presently moored at this location, this being the western part of the North Dock.

  6365. If we can just move on, here is a plan giving an outline of the current construction proposals in relation to the Isle of Dogs station.[14] Here you have North Dock, here is the West India Quay, and The Robin is presently moored at this point here (indicated), just to the west of the DLR bridge. The only point I need remind you of is that the proposal is that there should be a dam broadly in this location, which would enable water to be maintained in the western part of the West India Dock whilst the area to the east will be drained for the purposes of constructing the Isle of Dogs station itself. That enables a body of water to accommodate vessels which are presently within this part of the dock, which includes The Robin—albeit moved slightly to the west—and the commercial boat owners which we will be hearing about from Mr Cartwright in a moment or two.

  6366. The position as regards The Robin, which Mr Knowles is going to outline in a moment on the basis of a statement which, I am pleased to say, has been agreed between the parties, is that negotiations have been ongoing for sometime now between the Promoters and the Trustees of The Robin in relation to arrangements which are mutually acceptable for the purposes of accommodating The Robin here or elsewhere within the dock system. Mr Knowles, as I say, is going to explain to you where we have got to in that respect and what is proposed for the next two or three weeks, in order to try to seek a mutually acceptable arrangement which will provide for the needs of that vessel.

  6367. Unless there is anything else at this stage, I will hand over to Mr Knowles.

  6368. CHAIRMAN: I think that is all. Particularly, Mr Knowles, what it is you would like the Committee to do.

  6369. MR KNOWLES: My Lord, yes. I am grateful to my learned friend . What the Petitioner would like the Committee to do at this point is simply to take no further action now, save to defer this Petition for a period of three weeks from today pending further work which the Petitioner and the Promoter are to undertake during that period. That position, my Lords, is a position with which the Promoter agrees and joins with me in asking your Lordships to accede. The context, if I may, in agreed terms, outline that briefly, is as follows: both Petitioner and Promoter are, as you have heard, embarked on constructive discussions. These discussions have been supported by survey work, by examination of financial options and relocation options.

  6370. There is the potential for those discussions to resolve the outstanding concerns of both Petitioner and Promoters. Broadly, the focus is this, and this is in the context of the vessel you have seen and which, as your Lordships will know, is the oldest-surviving whole steamship in the world: first, moving the vessel from West India Quay in order that works can be undertaken on it and then bringing the vessel back into West India Quay, if this can be done by the end of the year, at which point, as has been outlined, it would be locked in for the duration of the Crossrail works. In the event, and we need to consider this event and are doing so jointly, that the vessel cannot return from works in time to be locked in West India Quay for the duration of the Crossrail works, then the focus is on bringing it back to an alternative, suitable mooring until it can return to West India Quay after the Crossrail works are complete.

  6371. On the financial aspect, which clearly has occupied the parties, it is right that the Committee should be informed that a Heritage Lottery Fund bid presently stands declined, although the Heritage Lottery Fund have made clear their readiness to work with the Petitioner's trustees towards a further bid and, importantly, both Petitioner and Promoters have taken this development into account in their discussions.

  6372. Over the next three weeks that we join in asking your Lordships to allow, the Petitioner and the Promoters intend first that the report on the survey work that has already been completed be received, that the existing costings are further discussed in the light of that survey, that arrangements for moving the vessel and work on it are finalised, that financial arrangements are further jointly discussed, and that agreement is reached, if possible, on the default return mooring in the event, as I have said, that it is not feasible to bring The Robin back directly to West India Quay.

  6373. With your Lordships' permission, the Petitioner would report on progress to the Committee in writing at the end of the three-week period and, if possible, and we all hope this is possible, that would be jointly with the Promoters. In the event that all matters are agreed, the Committee would simply be asked to receive that report and note the agreement. In the event that one or more matters cannot be agreed, despite joint endeavours, the Petitioner may ask, and I need obviously to make this qualification, the Committee to consider expressing a view on a point of agreement if the Committee thinks it appropriate to do so, but both parties repeat their desire to conclude as soon as reasonably possible on mutually acceptable arrangements for The Robin during the period of the Crossrail works.

  6374. So, my Lords, that is what we ask at this point for those reasons, and we respectfully ask for it jointly.

  6375. CHAIRMAN: The Heritage Lottery Fund, you said, knows what is going on?

  6376. MR KNOWLES: Yes.

  6377. CHAIRMAN: And they certainly will hold over a decision on a grant for three weeks, will they?

  6378. MR KNOWLES: The way they have put their position, and I cannot go beyond that, is that the bid stands declined, but that they will work with the trustees of The Robin for a further bid to come in. In fact, the important thing is that both parties are aware of the situation which is, as we stand, no Lottery funding, and I hope I do not unduly intrude into the content of the negotiations by saying that both parties are in a position to consider it worthwhile continuing discussions in the way I have indicated even in the absence of Lottery funding.

  6379. CHAIRMAN: Well, I do not know whether you want to come and address us again, but in three weeks' time we can probably find you a slot, a short one.

14   Crossrail Ref: P43, Isle of Dogs Station-Scenario 2 Construction Method Site Plan-Current (TOWHLB-XR6-002) Back