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32
To the Local Government Board.
The Petition of the Board of Works for the
Lewisham District under their Common Seal.
Sheweth,—
1. That your Petitioners are the Board of Works for the
Lewisham District, constituted under the Metropolis
Local Management Act, 1855. That although the control
and management of the roads, streets, and sewers within
that District are vested in your Petitioners, there are
powers vested in various Companies which authorise them
to break up or disturb the streets and pavements, and this
involves not only unnecessary and frequent expense, but
is also injurious to the surface of the streets, and causes
obstruction and inconvenience to traffic.
2. That your Petitioners are of opinion that the public
interests require that the control over the streets and
pavements shall be so vested in your Petitioners, aud the
various other local authorities in the Metropolis, as to
enable them to make proper regulations as to the breaking
up or disturbing of the streets and pavements in their
several districts.
3. That your Petitioners are informed that Subways already
exist in certain streets, and your Petitioners are of opinion
that it is expedient that further power should be conferred
for making and maintaining other Subways in streets, and
that provisions should be made requiring that such Subways
should be used for the reception of pipes, wires, and
the like, instead of such streets being from time to time
thus broken up and interfered with.
4. That your Petitioners observe that the number of wires
and cables placed overhead has greatly increased and is
still increasing in many Districts in the Metropolis, and
it is suggested that such wires and cables involve danger
to persons using the streets and injury and inconvenience
to buildings, and that such overhead wires and cables are
subject to no efficient system of control or regulation.
5. That your Petitioners consider that additional powers
should be conferred for the control and regulation of all
such wires.