View report page

REPORT
Of the Proceedings of the Vestry of Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green,
from the 25th March, 1871, to the 25th March, 1872.
NEW APPROACH FROM SHOREDITCH.
The Metropolitan Board of "Works having declined to include in the
Bill promoted by them in 1871 the Improvement proposed by the
Vestry, it was determined again to submit Plans to the Board, and
sufficiently early to afford ample time for consideration, and for taking
the requisite steps before the then ensuing Session. Fresh Plans were
accordingly prepared, shewing two alternative routes from Chilton Street
to Shoreditch. The Plans were submitted to the Metropolitan Board of
Works, and the Board ultimately decided to include the Improvement in
a Bill which they had determined to promote in the Session of 1872,
for the purpose of procuring powers to effect various Metropolitan
Improvements. Plans were deposited by the Board in compliance with
the standing orders of the Houses of Parliament, and the Bill has been
brought in. Great efforts are being made by some of the London and
Suburban Parishes in opposition to the measure, on various grounds.
Objections' are taken to the scheme itself, as not being the best that could
be devised. The Engineer of the Corporation of London has reported
strongly against it. But, apart from the merits of the scheme, as a
whole, or the merits of any particular parts of it, it is objected that the
Improvements should not be treated as Metropolitan, and that the cost of
each should be borne, to a large extent, by the Parish or District in which
the Improvement is to be made. Without going into the difficult
question of what abstractedly is the most just way of defraying the cost
of Improvements on a large scale, which more or less benefit the Metropolis
generally, it is manifest that it would be unjust to Parishes and
Districts like Bethnal Green, that have for years contributed, and will
have to contribute for years to come to the New Streets in Southwark,
the Covent Garden Approach, the Kensington and other Improvements,