View report page

54
The Vestry were therefore called upon for the first time
since 1856 to bear the entire cost of a public street
improvement.
Caxton
Street.
By the erection of new blocks of buildings,
containing many residential suites, and by the
many meetings and social gatherings of every description,
held at the Town Hall, the Vestry have become impressed
with the necessity for widening Caxton Street on the west,
between the Medical School and James Street, and on the
east at its junction with Great Chapel Street. The first
section of the scheme, to which attention was directed, was
that on the north side, comprising Wrake's Buildings
and the property occupied under a lease by the Army and
Navy Auxiliary Supply ; but as the freeholders required
forty years' purchase for their interest, the proposal was
abandoned, without enquiry as to the compensation required
by the lessees.
In March, 1889, the Vestry received communications
from Messrs. W. Hill & Son, Col. Lumsden, of the London
Scottish Rifle Volunteers, and Messrs. J. & A. E. Bull, on
behalf of the Army and Navy Co-operative Societies, urging
the necessity of the Vestry acquiring a portion of the Blue
Coat School premises for the purpose of widening James
Street, and negociations were subsequently commenced
with a view to carrying out an improvement both in James
Street and Caxton Street in the manner suggested. Messrs.
Trollope & Winckworth, writing on behalf of the Governors
of the School, offered to sell a strip of land, containing 2,808
superficial feet, for the sum of £4,500 plus £200 compensation
to the master of the school for loss and inconvenience
which would be entailed by the demolition of his house. As a
precautionary step the Vestry caused further negotiations
to be stayed until the London County Council had consented
to contribute. No decision had been communicated
to the Vestry up to the time of writing.