Soho’s post houses have won a major concession from London’s proposed Crossrail project.

The tracks, which would have produced vibrations affecting the area’s post-production community, will now be floated on rubber to reduce the problem.

The initiative has come about after lobbying by Grand Central Sound Studios in Great Marlborough Street.

Together with other interested parties, managing director Carole Humphrey and technical director Ivor Taylor issued a petition against the development and spent £100,000 of the company’s money arguing their case in front of the Select Committee dealing with the Crossrail Bill.

Grand Central engaged a leading QC and several experts on sound and vibration, including David Bell, managing director of White Mark, the company that designed the facility’s studios.

“The Crossrail line will affect about one third of Soho,” said Bell. “It’s difficult to predict how much floating the track will improve the situation, but it is the most we could have hoped for.”

Taylor said: “We have world-class studios in Soho and don’t want to see Crossrail being derelict in its duty of care. But I do think Crossrail will be positive for the area because it will give us a faster link to facilities and production companies to the west of London.”

Construction on Crossrail is expected to be underway by 2010.

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