Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

NEXT DAY’S DELIVERY is provided by regular nightly LMS freight trains and cartage organisations Ask the L M S Agent for particulars He will take a personal interest in your requirements.

October The General Works Committee received the Borough Engineer’s report on the improvements to the Willows Lane, Scaitcliffe Street and Lonsdale Street Bridges of the LMS Railway. It was resolved to circulate copies of this report to each member of this Committee so as to give detailed consideration to them at the next meeting. The Watch Committee also met and the Town Clerk presented a number of reports from the Goods Agent of the LMS at Accrington Station on the arrival of livestock at the Paxton Street sidings for transfer to the abattoir. November A ‘special’ Sub-Committee from the Health and Watch Committees met, when the Town Clerk submitted six reports from the Goods Agent of the LMS Railway Company in Accrington, containing details of the number of beasts, days and times of arrival, and the times of droving from the pens on Paxton Street to the abattoir on Moreton Street. The Chief Constable reported on the ‘manner’ in which the transfer of cattle was carried out. Having assessed these reports it was resolved that, “So long as the present system of droving was carried out no further action need be taken”. However, the right was reserved to reconsider the position at any time in the future. December The General Purposes Committee met and the Town Clerk reported that several properties belonging to the LMS were shortly to come onto the market to be sold by auction. At a meeting of the Finance Committee the Borough Treasurer reported that, as a consequence of the reduction in the assessment of rateable values granted to the Railway Company, the sum of £4,191 – 13s – 4d was owed to them in respect of over-payments during the period April 1 st , 1931 to March 31 st , 1938. He also commented on the situation with regard to the properties which were let out by the Railway Company. 1938 ( In this year the Big Four railway operating companies finally persuaded the government to lift the statutory obligation placed upon them, to carry any and every load they were offered. This rule had been in operation since the last century. They also were successful in their petition to abandon the out-of-date rules on ticket pricing that had been in force since January 1st, 1923. ) January At a meeting of the Health Committee, it was resolved that following a site visit to the public conveniences under the LMS railway bridge on Scaitcliffe Street, a plan for building new toilets drawn up by the Borough Engineer would be submitted to the Railway Company for the provision of a site on their property on Scaitcliffe Street. Also in January the General Works Committee made visits of inspection to the LMS railway bridges at Scaitcliffe Street, Lonsdale Street and Willows Lane, where the Borough Engineer outlined his proposals for their improvements. It was resolved to adopt his N o 2 scheme for the Lonsdale Street Bridge, which involved a lowering of the roadway under the bridge up to its junction with Lower Antley Street. It was then resolved to refer the schemes for all three bridges to the Ministry of Transport for ‘informal’ approval, and an indication of the probability of grants being made towards the work. It was further resolved that if necessary the Chairman would accompany the officials to meet with the representatives of the Ministry in Manchester in order to discuss these plans. March The General Works Committee met, and the Town Clerk reported that he, the Chairman and the Borough Engineer had met with the Divisional Road Engineer of the Ministry of Transport, when the schedule for the improvements to the three LMS Railway Company’s bridges in Accrington was fully discussed. The Ministry’s man had indicated that in his opinion the three schemes would only be entitled to 33⅓% grant in each case, which was the Ministry’s standard rate of grant with respect to ‘district’ roadways. This would not be eligible for the improvement of privately owned bridges, as the Ministry’s conditions with regard to width and headroom, could not it seems be complied with in the case of these three bridges. The Ministry would however be prepared to receive further representations on this matter. It was therefore resolved to refer these schemes back to the General Purposes Committee for further consideration, with a recommendation that the scheme for the Lonsdale Street Bridge should go ahead in any event. The Town Clerk reported he had been in touch with the LMS, with regard to the selection of a

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