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69
Widening of Shorts Gardens.
In the year 1896 a proposal was considered by your
Board for effecting a public improvement in Shorts Gardens
at its entrance from Drury Lane by setting back the
building at the south-east corner to range in line with the
other houses in Shorts Gardens. Considerable negotiation
took place at that time but with no result, the owner of
the property demanding payment for the land proposed to
be thrown into the public way at an amount the Board
thought considerably in excess of its value for a public
improvement, but during last year the property changed
hands and came into possession of the Charing Cross
and Strand Electricity Supply Corporation, Limited,
who acquired it for the purpose of a distributing station,
and negotiations were opened by your Board with the
Corporation with a view of effecting the desired improvement,
and ultimately it was arranged that the Corporation
should set back the frontage as described in consideration
of the Board paying them the sum of £700. The Corporation's
new building is now in course of erection to the
agreed line, and when the work is completed the ground
will be thrown into the public way and paved over by your
Board. Towards the cost of the improvement a contribution
of £100 has been promised by Messrs. Watney,
Combe, Reid and Company, Limited, on the representation
of the Clerk to the Board of the improved access which
would be given by the improvement to their cooperage
premises in Short's Gardens.