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53
October, expressed the opinion that the suggested widening
of the road from Howick Place to Ashley Place was one
of a purely local character, and that they were therefore
not prepared to carry it out.
Wood
Street.
Early in May of 1889 attention was called to
the work of demolition which was in progress
at the "Prince Alfred" public-house in Wood Street, and
to the inconvenience which had long been experienced by
reason of the projection of the building upon the public
footway some four feet beyond the general line of the
buildings in the street. Negotiations were entered
into with the view to the new building line being
set back to correspond with that of the other buildings,
and to the surrender for the use of the public of
the strip of four feet along the frontage. The owners consented
to cede the land required for the sum of £355,
inclusive of their charges. This offer was accepted, and
preliminary notice of the inteuded improvement was
accordingly given to the London County Council on the
24th May, following the custom observed with the late
Metropolitan Board of Works. No notice of departure from
the practice of the late Board having been given, the Vestry
completed the negotiations with the vendor, and the improvement
was subsequently carried out. On the 6th
August, however, the Vestry received a letter from the
Council stating that they were unable to regard the improvement
as one towards which a contribution should be
made. The Vestry, taken by surprise, requested the
Council to re-consider their decision, and the members for
the Division were appealed to for their assistance. The
Council, however, declined doing so, "inasmuch as the
"Vestry had carried out the matter without having obtained
"the consent of the Council, as required by section 72 of
"the Metropolis Local Management Amendment Act, 1862."