Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

1902 January At a meeting of the Town Council they authorised the Town Clerk to write another letter to the L & Y with regard to the ‘defective’ accommodation at Accrington Station, asking “what progress had been made to provide better facilities”. February A letter in reply was received from the L & Y stating that with reference to the improvements, they hoped to be able to submit definite plans shortly! The Health Inspector was again instructed to make observations on the amounts of smoke drifting out from the L & Y’s engine sheds. In the event of no apparent improvements being made, notice would be served on the Company to abate the nuisance forthwith. Soon afterwards the Health Committee received a letter from the L & Y acknowledging the formal notice of smoke nuisance in Lonsdale Street. March A letter was received from the Secretary of L & Y, on the clauses the Council wished to be included in the Company’s Bill for the protection of its own interests, pointing out the issues which remained unresolved. These were – a. Ground rents, where his Company understood that an exchange was to be made, with the Corporation indemnifying his Company against a rent of £84-11s-2d payable on the Town’s yard, whilst his Company did likewise against the ground rents owing on the Town’s new yard. b. That the Corporation further agrees that with regard to the conveyance of traffic into and out of the Town’s new yard, the Corporation will pay the same rates the L & Y makes on similar classes of traffic consigned to and from their facilities at Accrington Station. The Mayor reported on a meeting he and the Town Clerk had recently held with the Engineer and Solicitor of the Railway Company. The Town Clerk pointed out the Corporation had already paid £550 to buy out the interest of the occupier of the new site. It was resolved the Mayor and Town Clerk would be authorised to settle these clauses on the basis of the points raised by the Company with regard to the subject of ground rents, providing the Railway Company would reimburse the Corporation the £550 they had laid out, also that the L & Y agreed that the payment for goods terminating in the new yard would be at a fixed rate of ‘1 penny per ton’ to include all the necessary services. It was also resolved to pay the sum of £263-14s-5d the outstanding amount of ground rent owing on the old yard. April The Town Clerk reported to the Town Council on further negotiations with the L & Y, and read a letter from them restating their objections to certain claims made by the Corporation. It was resolved a deputation would meet with the Company in order to secure the best terms possible. The Mayor reported to the General Purposes Committee on the deputation’s meeting with the L & Y, in which they had hoped to settle the Corporation’s differences with the Company with regard to taking the Town’s old yard under the terms contained in the Bill (under the heading of various powers). He stated that these differences remained ‘as yet’ unresolved! The Corporation laid out its terms for carrying out the proposals made by the L & Y as follows - 1. In principle this Corporation will agree to the proposals for taking the Town’s Yard after the Railway Company provides an alternative yard adjoining the Willows Iron Works. 2. The site provided in exchange is 8,739 sq. yards including 1,788 sq. yards of public highway, which will be closed. 3. The Railway Company takes a strip of land of 575 sq. yards off the site of the Willows Iron Works in addition to the Town’s Yard. 4. The Town’s Yard contains 7,140 sq. yards and is leasehold for 999 years subject to a ground rent of £84-11s-2d per annum. The aforementioned strip is also leasehold for 999 years, and is subject to part of the aforementioned rent of £26-17s-0d. 5. That all works to the Town’s new yard are completed to the Corporation’s satisfaction, including the clearing of the old premises before the Company takes possession of the old yard, to include the transfer of all furniture, stores and appliances. 6. The siding in the new Town Yard to be connected up to the Company’s railway lines without cost to the Corporation, and that the Company undertakes as required to do all the shunting and marshalling of wagons containing goods consigned into and out of the Town’s New Yard in a prompt manner. 7. That the Company compensates the Corporation and its tenants for all damage and loss caused by the demolition of part of the Willows Iron Works, this to include the small lodge. 8. The Railway Company lengthens the span of their bridge over Willows Lane to 42 feet. 9. That they replace the subway connecting Corporation Street with Dale Street by a footbridge 9 feet wide with adequate lighting.

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