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upon the above-named model clauses; but in the meantime the
Vestry have received an application from another Company (the
Jablochkoff) for consent to apply for a license from the Board
of Trade. This application was under consideration at the close
of the year.
LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS.
The only local improvement which the Vestry have taken in
hand during the past year is a scheme by which Little Pulteney
Street, the northern end of Great Windmill Street, that part of
Great Crown Court which runs in continuation of Rupert Street,
and part of Little Crown Court will be widened, and Queen's Head
Court and the remainder of Great Crown Court will be closed and
abolished.
This improvement originated in the Surveyor to the Commissioners
of Her Majesty's Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues
suggesting that the approaching termination of the leases of the
block of property above described, of which the Crown is the
ground landlord, would afford an opportunity of effecting considerable
improvements in the locality. The scheme, as first suggested,
was far more comprehensive in scope, and would probably have
required a special Act of Parliament to carry it into effect. The
Vestry did not feel justified in incurring the expense which this
course would have involved, and therefore entered into negotiations
with the Crown Surveyor, in order to obtain some satisfactory
modification of the original proposal. The Crown Surveyor
received the views of the Vestry in a conciliatory spirit, and
it was eventually agreed that on the falling in of the leases the
Crown would surrender a portion of ground for the widening of
the above-named thoroughfares, on condition that the Vestry would
previously obtain the necessary authority for the closing of the
public ways which will be affected by the scheme.
In accordance with this arrangement, Messrs. Lee and Pemberton,
Solicitors, were instructed by the Vestry to take all the necessary
steps with a view to obtaining an Order of the Court of Quarter
Sessions for the stopping up of Queen's Head Court and part of