Accrington on Rails - The Tramways: A Complete History - Robert Kenyon

Standing Orders. It was confirmed the Corporation’s Bill would be one of the first to be considered in Committee. February The Town Clerk reported to a meeting of the Legal & Parliamentary Committee on a discussion he had with officials of the County Council in Preston, on the subject of them taking over the maintenance of the main roads within the Borough and contributing to their upkeep. The Corporation proposed that in exchange for the County Council withdrawing their opposition to the Corporation’s Tramway Bill, they would credit the County Council the value of the granite setts and concrete foundation outside the area of the existing tramway lines, which had been provided from the loans under an agreement with the County Council, and would be used by the Corporation in the construction of the new electrified tramway as authorised by the Act. It was resolved that these actions and proceedings would be approved. A petition was heard from the Agent acting for the Accrington Steam Tramway Company, which contained objections to the Corporation’s Bill. It was resolved that the contents of this petition would be totally rejected, or if this failed limited to a few as possible. Petitions were also received from Haslingden Corporation and the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company. It was resolved the Town Clerk would investigate whether these and any other objections would not be met by Clauses already contained within the Bill. Then he was to report back on his findings. The Town Clerk reported to the Legal & Parliamentary Committee he had received draft clauses in answer to Petitions raised by both Haslingden and Rawtenstall Corporations. It was resolved that these Clauses would be accepted and the Town Clerk was authorised to include them within the Bill. March At a meeting of the General Works Committee a letter was received from the Tramway Company in reply to the one they had received from the Town Clerk, pointing out some deficiencies at the Ellison Street depot. It stated that tenders had been accepted by the Directors for the ‘full amount’ of repairs required at the depot, which would commence at once. With regard to the Tramway itself, they were doing their ‘utmost’ to comply with the Council’s demands, their attention having been specifically drawn to the ‘unsatisfactory’ state of the setts at the junction of Peel Street with Blackburn Road. It was resolved the Chairman, Vice-Chair and the Borough Surveyor would be assigned to give instructions as to just what was required in order to put things right. ( The negotiations on the cost of power to be supplied to Haslingden when the tramways were electrified was also under negotiation .) To H. Gray Esq., the Borough Electrical Engineer, Municipal Offices, Accrington. March 8 th , 1905. Dear Sir, re the supply of electricity in bulk. In further reference to your meeting with the Mayor, Town Clerk and myself recently, I should be pleased if you would answer the following queries so that they be submitted to my Committee. 1. Voltage of supply. 2. Whether DC or AC current. 3. Flat rate per unit at which you are prepared to supply current at the junction of our Borough with Accrington, near to the White Lion Inn on Manchester Road in Baxenden, where this Corporation would erect their own metering station. 4. The flat rate per unit at which you are prepared to supply current at a given central location in Haslingden, not exceeding two miles from the junction of the boundaries as mentioned in 3, with Haslingden to erect a metering station as before.

5. The sliding scale per unit at Baxenden. 6. The sliding scale per unit in Haslingden.

Yours faithfully, J. Singleton Green, Borough Surveyor.

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