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REPORT.
To the Vestry of the Hamlet of Mile End Old Town.
Gentlemen,
The detail work of your Board being principally transacted
by the various Committees, it necessarily follows it is seldom I have
the opportunity of addressing you upon the various subjects undertaken
by my department. I am, therefore, glad of the opportunity once a year
of being able to call attention to the work already done and that
requiring attention in the future.
The heavy calls which have been made upon the Hamlet by the
School Board and Metropolitan Board of Works have prevented you
from raising the sum required to adequately keep pace with the wear
and tear of your footways which increases annually. I think it necessary
to draw your attention to the fact that, either your rate must be raised,
or else a systematic method of borrowing the money and spreading the
payment over a series of years must be accepted.
In cases where streets have not previously been paved, or money
not borrowed for paving, there is no difficulty ; but in cases in which
the money has already been borrowed, and the streets already paved,
although the amount has been repaid, it is the custom of the Metropolitan
Board of Works not to again sanction a loan.
No money was ever expended which paid the Vestry a better rate
of interest than the paving of the Mile End and Commercial Roads.
With the exception of a few pieces of work (which were not done out
of the loan), these roads have not required any repair since the day
they were paved, notwithstanding the enormous increase of traffic in
the District.
In a tabular form I give the quantities of paving work executed during
the year and the cost. The paving of Devonshire Street, from Globe
Road to Bancroft Road, was a most necessary work, and one which
had long required to be undertaken.
The streets, which at the present time require repaving, are White
Horse Lane, Harford Street, and part of Globe Road. These were
originally paved with old stone, which has now so much worn that it is
unfit for streets of the traffic and importance of those named, although
it would re-dress into smaller stone and be useful in paving streets
less frequented.
Devonshire Street, from Globe Road to the western boundary, is
now a main thoroughfare to the Great Eastern Goods Station, and
should be paved. The Vestry have paved the Eastern portion and the
Parish of Bethnal Green the western.
In the present days of steam rolling macadamised roads, all
channels should be paved, and I regret that the paucity of funds has
prevented you from proceeding with this useful work during the year.
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