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15
and effected by the Metropolitan Board, at the cost of the Metropolis at
large. Local improvements being effected by the Local Authorities,
aided by a contribution from the Central Board. In this latter sense
the Shepherdess Walk was a Metropolitan Improvement; with this
exception, Metropolitan Improvements in Shoreditch are, as yet, only
projected.
The necessity of widening the narrow end of High Street, Shoreditch,
into which the Hackney and Kingsland Roads and Old Street
Road discharge their principal traffic, and also of continuing the communication
from the East of London, partly provided by Commercial
Street, through, in the direction of Willow Walk to Old Street Road
or City Road, whence it would be continued by Old Street, and possibly,
through Wilderness Row to Bloomsbury, has long been felt and
acknowledged, and has been made the subject of discussion in Committees
of the House of Commons, by the Commissioners of Works, and
by the Metropolitan Board. During the past year, the Vestry of
Shoreditch took vigorous action in the matter of both proposals, brought
them under the consideration of the Metropolitan Board, by memorials
and deputations, and prepared and submitted detailed plans and estimates
necessary for placing the proposals before Parliament. During
the consideration of these proposals by the Metropolitan Board, the
Vestry judged that it would be inadvisable to press both schemes to an
issue that year, but to waive, for the present, one, in favor of an
immediate accomplishment of the other. The proposal adopted for
instant action, was the widening of the High Street, as being the most
urgent and useful. The Vestry was so far successful, as to induce the
Metropolitan Board to decide by a very large majority to adopt the
proposal as a Metropolitan Improvement, and to introduce a Bill into
Parliament to authorise the same, and the necessary capital to be raised.
In their efforts the Vestry of Shoreditch was handsomely assisted by the
Board of Works and Vestry of Hackney, the Vestries of St. Matthew,
Bethnal Green, and St. Lukes, the Holborn Board of Works, and by
Miss (now the Baroness) Burdett Coutts, and the Committee of Columbia
Market, all of whom memorialized the Board of Works, or petitioned
Parliament in its favor. It was not anticipated that so urgent an
improvement, especially located at the East of London, which district