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211
The system that obtains in Fulham, is to lay out a street in a temporary
manner if necessary, defining the width of the footway by a kerb, and
making up the roadway with gravel or some other such material; it is
never the practice to permanently pave a road when it is first laid out.
According to the deposited plans, roads are required to be laid out to
some definite and stated gradient, and to fall evenly from point to point;
such may have been the case when first laid out, but when building
operations commence, levels are regarded as of no consequence, as a
result of which two steps contiguous often vary in level as much as 6 inches
and such a case came under my observation the other day. The irregularity
of these steps has caused endless trouble and inconvenience and even
serious deterioration to the property when the streets are permanently
paved, as it is impossible to set out a uniform line and level of kerb, so as
to keep below the lowest of these steps without giving its neighbour an
extremely high step which, in many cases, would be very dangerous to
persons entering.
It is therefore necessary to alter and vary the levels to meet, uniformly,
these steps, this has frequently to be done to such an extent as to deprive
the road of the appearance it should possess and in some cases it scarcely
falls short of the resemblance to a Switchback Railway. Such a state of
things is not only damaging to the appearance of the road but causes
gullies to be constructed where they could otherwise have been dispensed
with, and altering and varying gradients are also unpleasant and at times
dangerous to vehicular traffic.
I therefore think that an officer should be appointed to supervise this
work and to see that the buildings are erected with a uniform rate of fall
from point to point, this would add considerably to the appearance of the
roads. It would obviate the danger to persons entering houses where in
some cases the steps have to be buried, and in other cases where they are
left standing considerably above the pavement; in the former case there is
a step down to the house, and in the latter a step up, which is far preferable
when not excessive.
STREETS PAVED.
A great many of the new streets paved during the last year have been
those in the poorer parts of Fulham where paving is most needed. I have
observed the marked improvement to the district in consequence.
Landlords in such a neighbourhood as Caroline Place could take no
interest in their property, whilst the approach to it was almost an impassable
quagmire, there was no inducement to improve that property to
command better tenants until the road had been paved. During the past
year this has been done with Imperial Stone, and it now presents a clean
and cheerful appearance, as a result of which the whole of the property has
been renovated and considerably improved. Such improvements as these
not only contribute to the healthiness and appearance of the Parish, but
educate the poorer classes to be cleanly; the first step therefore in this
direction is to pave. No woman, however hard she may work, however
industrious, or however clean and tidy, would take the same interest in her
house if the approaches were dirty as she would if they were clean.