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65
Tramway
Improvements-
98. The Council has also had under consideration suggestions
of the London County Council with regard to the
widening of thoroughfares in connection with the
proposal to reconstruct for an underground conduit system of electrical
traction, the northern route of the tramways acquired from the
South London Tramways Company. The Improvements Committee
of the County Council stated that the estimated nett cost of acquiring
the necessary property in Wandsworth was £12,000, and of executing
the paving works (excluding the cost of laying down and paving the
tramway track), £2,570 total £14,570 for the Wandsworth portion
of the scheme ; and asked whether, in the event of the suggested
improvements being proceeded with, the Borough Council would be
prepared (1) to consent to the doubling of the two lengths of the tramway
in York Road, between Edgel Street and Wandsworth railway
station ; and would agree (2) to the setting back of the kerbs and the
re-construction as a double line of the tramway in York Road at its
junction with Jews' Row at a less distance than 9 ft. 6 ins. from the
kerb; (3) to contribute one-third (about £4,857) of the nett cost of
certain suggested street widenings in York Road, Wandsworth ; and
(4) to the narrowing of the footpaths there. The County Council also
proposed that the Borough Council should agree (5) to put into force
on behalf of and at the cost of the County Council its compulsory
powers under Michael Angelo Taylor's Act in those cases where terms
could not be agreed for the acquisition of the necessary property, so as
to avoid the delay of applying to Parliament next Session for compulsory
powers.
99. The Borough Council decided to agree to the suggestions (1), (2)
and (5). The Borough Council did not, however, see its way to consent
to the width of the footways being reduced to the extent proposed by
the County Council, except at the corner of Jews' Row. The County
Council was informed that upon its agreeing to widen the thoroughfares
where the tramways will be re-constructed to not less than 54 ft. where
such width could be obtained without interfering with buildings, to pave
the whole of the carriageways with wood and of the footpaths with
artificial stone, to maintain the whole width of the carriageway in all
cases where this was done by the County Council as successor to the
South London Tramways Company, and to construct a double line of
tramways where possible, the question of the Borough Council contributing
one-third of the cost of the street widenings in Wandsworth