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69
Tramway
Improvements.
120. Practically the whole of the property required for the
widening of thoroughfares for the electrical tramways
from Wandsworth to Tooting via York Road,
Garratt Lane and Defoe Road, has now been acquired by the
London County Council, the Borough Council assisting in several
cases by putting in force its compulsory powers under Michael
Angelo Taylor's Act. The Borough Council has constantly urged
the County Council to proceed with the construction of the tramways
and the paving of the carriage way. As stated in last year's
report the County Council proposed that the road should be paved
with macadam. The Borough Council, however, were of opinion
that in view of the importance of the thoroughfare and the presence
of a tramway in the road, wood blocks should be used and
the cost borne by the two Councils in the same proportion as the
cost of the. widening. The County Council declined to concur in
the Borough Council's views, but after considerable correspondence
the Borough Council induced the County Council to agree to
include in the improvement scheme the wood paving of the road
between North Street and Earlsfield Railway Station. The
Borough Council also arranged for the remainder of the road,
viz.:—between Earlsfield Railway Station and Tooting High
Street, to be paved with wood, the Borough Council defraying the
additional cost consequent upon the adoption of that material.
The work has since been carried out in connection with the construction
of the tramways.
121. At the instance of the Borough Council, the part of the
road between the tramway rails has been paved with wood in
front of churches and other public buildings in order to lessen the
noise of the traffic.
122. In accordance with the agreement with the London
County Council (see page 46 of this report) relative to the reconstruction
of the tramways in York Road, Wandsworth, for
electrical traction, the Borough Council is taking the necessary
steps for the acquisition of property required for widening that
thoroughfare. The scheme originally proposed by the County
Council was for a much smaller improvement, but after correspondence
and a deputation to a Committee of the County
Council that Council agreed to the widening now arranged
for. The agreement with the County Council was exchanged
on the 31st May last, but the Borough Council began