Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

the Corporation with respect to the maintenance of the road surface on such bridges, should now be amended to a payment of £1 – 8s – 0d per annum with regard to the bridge on Arago Street, ( formerly known as the Penny House Bridge ). It was resolved the Town Clerk should amend the conditions of this agreement with regard to this bridge on behalf of the Corporation. The Minister of Transport, Mr Hore Belisha, approved the plans for the widening of the bridge over the railway on Nuttall Street close to its junction with Mount Street. The LMS had prepared specifications for putting out to tender and the work was expected to cost in the region of £13,000, with the Ministry of Transport contributing 75% of the overall costs. The scheme was put forward during 1931 but was postponed due to economic restrictions in force at that time. The width of the existing passage was 15 feet including a footpath 3 feet 6 inches wide, leaving only 11 feet and 6 inches for the passage of traffic. The new bridge would have a span of 36 feet with a 6 feet footpath on either side, leaving a clear two-way passage of 24 feet. Accrington brick will face the concrete abutments and a steel girder bridge will support the permanent way some 23 feet above street level. It was also proposed that the Corporation would construct new state-of-the-art public conveniences in the vicinity of this structure as part of the scheme. August The General Works Committee met again, when the Town Clerk reported on correspondence with the Ministry of Transport with regard to the reconstruction of the railway arch which carries the LMS railway lines over Nuttall Street in the Woodnook district. In it the Minister had now intimated that a grant of £9,902 equal to 75% of the estimated cost of this work would be made to the Council. This subject to the conditions set down in the Ministry’s letter, and on condition that this work was completed no later than August 13 th 1936. It was resolved that these terms and conditions were acceptable, and that the Town Clerk should complete the necessary agreement with the Railway Company. October At a meeting of the General Works Committee, the Town Clerk reported that a draft agreement with the LMS, relative to certain clauses which he had submitted in accordance with the conditions of the grant from the Ministry of Transport had now been accepted by the Railway Company. He advised that they were now preparing a scheme and would shortly advertise for tenders, which would be passed on to this Committee in due course. The Town Clerk reported that Lancashire County Council had now commenced work on the widening of the roadway over the LMS lines at Strawberry Bank, and whilst the work was underway and the old structure was being demolished, it would be necessary to close the line to all traffic for a period of approximately fifteen ( 15 ) weeks. It was therefore resolved - 1. The Council should, at their December meeting, make an Order under Section 47 of the Road Traffic Act 1930, to prohibit the use of Queens Road to all traffic, other than those directly involved in these works. 2. As required by Law, the Town Clerk was instructed to publish notice of the Council’s intention to make this Order. May At a meeting of the General Works Committee, the Borough Engineer reported that Lancashire County Council had accepted the tender for the work to take place on the widening of the Queens Road Railway Bridge, which was due to commence soon. This involved the necessity of taking a strip of land equal to 22 square yards from the adjoining land owned by the Corporation, for widening the approach to the bridge. The Town Clerk reported upon a circular issued by the Ministry of Transport with regard to the grants available for bridge work and road widening. He outlined the correspondence he had exchanged with the Divisional Road Engineer of the Ministry, and with the Estate Agent for the LMS, relative to the Woodnook Railway Arch scheme. September The General Works Committee met, when the Borough Treasurer reported that in respect of the reconstruction of the Woodnook Railway Arch carrying the LMS lines, it would be necessary to make an application for a loan for the balance of the cost of this work, over and above the Ministry of Transport’s grant of £9,902. It was resolved to make an application to the Ministry of Health for permission to borrow £3,300, which would cover the cost of the Corporation’s contribution to the expense of this work. November At a meeting of the Health Committee, the Town Clerk referred to the proposal to reconstruct the Woodnook Railway Arch, and reported he had approached the LMS, on the subject of obtaining an alternative site for the adjacent public conveniences. The Railway Company had replied they were prepared to grant the Corporation a yearly tenancy on a site contained in a plan prepared by the Borough

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