Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

Street. It was resolved these plans be approved and sent to the L & Y with a ‘strong’ appeal for them to carry out these works. The Chairman of the General Works Committee, along with the Town Clerk, reported on the meeting they had with the Solicitor of the L & Y, with regard to them modifying their Parliamentary Plans for the Spring Hill Estate, so as not to alter the line of Charter Street as laid out by a Mr Peel. The Railway Company indicated they were willing to modify their plans, providing the Corporation would accept any future expense involving the flagging and paving adjacent to their boundary wall. The Borough Surveyor indicated that the cost of this work would amount to £1,000. February At a meeting of the General Works Committee, the Town Clerk reported on his meeting with a Mr Peel’s Surveyor, in order to attempt to co-ordinate a ‘joint’ opposition to the proposals contained in the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway’s Bill of 1894, to divert the course of Charter Street and by so doing, disrupt what was the “most direct route into Oswaldtwistle.”. Mr Peel stated he would prefer to act independently of the Council in this matter. The Committee instructed the Town Clerk to scrutinise this Bill and report again before time had expired when they could lodge a petition in opposition to it. March A meeting of the Health Committee received a report from their Inspector reported on the nuisance caused by water dripping from the arches of the railway viaduct into Hyndburn Road, Blackburn Road, Croft Street, Taylor Street East and King Street. It was resolved the Town Clerk should write to the L & Y requesting they do something to rectify these problems. On the 8 th , the Town Clerk reported to a meeting of the Health Committee he had received an acknowledgement from the L & Y of the correspondence he had sent them about water seeping out of the railway viaduct. On the 22 nd , the Health Committee heard about the Town Clerk’s meeting with the Engineer of the L & Y, in which he had been informed that the problem of water dripping down from the railway viaduct could not be remedied from the underside of the arches. However, during 1895 the Railway Company planned to concrete the entire upper surface of these arches beneath the lines, “at considerable expense”. In the light of this, he hoped the Corporation could be trusted not to take any action in the meantime. The L & Y along with Messrs Howard & Bullough wrote to the General Works Committee, expressing their concerns that the paving being proposed for use on Scaitcliffe Street would be too slippery for heavy horse-drawn traffic as they would have to pass along this highway. It was resolved the Town Clerk convey to both parties, that the setts which would be used to pave Scaitcliffe Street, would be of the least inclined to cause slips, also there would be sufficient gaps between enough to given horses a firm footing. Also the slope would also be eased, therefore their concerns were groundless! July The Chairman called the attention of the General Works Committee to the lack of a weighing machine at Baxenden Railway Station, which was proving to be a ‘great inconvenience’ to local traders. It was resolved to request the L & Y provide one as quickly as possible. On the 31 st the Town Clerk reported to the General Works Committee on his meeting with Mr Foden from the L & Y with regard to the provision of a weighing machine at Baxenden Railway Station. He had indicated that the Company were not likely to install a cart-weighing machine there at the present time. October On the 2 nd , the General Works Committee received a letter from the Engineer of the L & Y, with respect to the lengthening of the span of the Scaitcliffe Street North Railway Bridge, pointing out the estimated cost of this work was £1,000, which would be charged to the Corporation if they wanted this work to be done. It was resolved to offer the Railway Company £500 towards the cost of the work. On the 16 th , the General Works Committee received a letter from the Engineer of the L & Y saying, that having seen the correspondence from the Corporation offering £500 towards the cost of the work in lengthening the span of the Scaitcliffe Street North Railway Bridge, his Directors could not see their way to allotting anything towards this work which was estimated at £1,000. Also at this meeting a letter came from the General Manager of the L & Y, intimating that they had rethought their previous decision, and were now prepared to install a cart-weighing machine at Baxenden Railway Station. In yet another letter the Railway Company raised the subject of the proposed levelling of the gradient on Scaitcliffe Street. It was resolved that the Chairman and the Borough Surveyor would meet with their Engineer in order to come to the best mutual arrangements. November A meeting of the Health Committee heard a report from the Nuisance Inspector, who had inspected the toilet facilities at the signal cabin at Church East and found them to be defective and causing a nuisance to residents of some recently erected cottages adjacent to the railway arch on Lonsdale

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