The Crossrail design review panel brings together 12 built environment experts and will be chaired by Les Sparks OBE, a former CABE commissioner who headed CABE's national design panel. Its vice-chair is Ken Shuttleworth of Make Architects.

The panel will provide expert advice on the quality of designs for the new Crossrail stations and the buildings above them.

The panel will start work in early 2009 reviewing designs for Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel and Custom House stations.

Crossrail, which is scheduled to open in 2017, will provide high-frequency rail access into and across London and is expected to have a major impact on London's transport network, increasing its capacity and bringing an additional 1.5 million people within 60 minutes commuting distance of central London.

The panel comprises:
* Les Sparks OBE, CABE fellow (chair)
* Ken Shuttleworth of Make Architects, CABE commissioner (vice-chair)
* Simon Allford of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
* Alan Baxter of Alan Baxter Associates
* Peter Braithwaite of CLM, delivery partner to the Olympic Delivery Authority
* Hanif Kara of Adams Kara Taylor
* Esther Kurland of Urban Design London
* Ian Sharratt of Pringle Richards Sharratt Architects
* Neven Sidor of Grimshaw
* Martin Stockley of Martin Stockley Associates
* Tim Stonor of Space Syntax
* Clare Wright of Wright & Wright Architects