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80
Width of
Roads.
110.—The Highways, &c., Committee have had under consideration
the subject of the varying widths of
carriageways and footpaths in the Borough. With
the view of securing uniformity throughout the Borough as far as
possible, the Council upon the recommendation of the Committee
passed the following resolutions, viz.:—
(a) That in future in all roads about to be formed 40 feet in
width, each footpath be made 8 feet wide.
(b) That as a general rule in future in all roads about to be
formed 45 feet or 50 feet in width, each footpath be made 9 feet
wide, and that if it is probable that a double line of tramways will
be constructed in any street 50 feet wide the Surveyors be instructed
to report specially to the Committee as to the widths of the paths
when the road is about to be formed, in order that sufficient accommodation
may be provided for the tramway.
(c) That in all cases of roads about to be formed of greater
width than those above-mentioned and of existing roads where the
footpaths are about to be re-constructed, the Surveyors report
specially to the Committee as to the widths of the footpaths.
Wandle Bridge,
at High Street,
Wandsworth.
111.—During the past few years a number of accidents,—some
having a fatal result,—have occurred at the bridge
carrying High Street, Wandsworth, over the River
Wandle owing to the ease with which children could climb on to
the gas and water pipes alongside the bridge. On each occasion
the attention of the London County Council has been called to
the highly dangerous condition of the bridge, the Borough Council
having always contended that the bridge was a county bridge, and
in connection with one of these accidents some 3 years ago the
County Council were urged to reconstruct and widen the bridge
with the view of preventing further loss of life there. The County
Council, however, declined to accede to the request and refused to
recognise the structure as a county bridge.
112.—In July, 1903, another fatal accident occurred, a lad
falling from the gas and water mains there and being drowned.
In view of the urgency of the matter the Borough Council, although
not responsible for the bridge, gave instructions for temporary
measures to be taken to prevent children from climbing on to the
pipes. The attention of the County Council, the Gas and Water