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

If you believe that it would be advantageous to have members of your Committee meet in conference with my Board, we will be pleased to arrange such a meeting at your convenience. Kindly lay the suggestions before your Committee and oblige. Yours obediently, William Jeffs. It was resolved that a deputation made up of the Mayor, Borough Surveyor and Town Clerk would meet the Directors of the Tramway Company, to discuss with them again the method and system to be employed in the relaying of the Church Section, with the full powers to come to an agreement with them. The Town Clerk reported he had met with Mr Jackson, the Chairman of the Blackburn Steam Tramways Company, with regard to the use of their passing loop in Church. He laid out the terms and conditions under which his Company would allow use of the passing loop in front of the Commercial Hotel, and which had already been accepted by the Accrington Steam Tramways Company - 1. The Accrington Steam Tramways Company pays the Blackburn Steam Tramways Company £105 for the past use of this loop, to be settled within one calendar month. 2. The Accrington Steam Tramways Company pays the Blackburn Steam Tramways Company £20 per year, in two half-yearly instalments on January 1 st and July 1 st respectively. 3. This agreement to remain in force for five years commencing on June 1 st 1894, with the liberty to redetermine the terms of the agreement at the end of five years, or at any future time by giving six months’ notice of termination on either of these specified dates. 4. The Accrington Steam Tramways Company to use this loop for turning purposes only, after which they shall immediately vacate the loop and stand upon their own lines. 5. This agreement to be binding on the Blackburn Steam Tramways Company only so far as it has the powers to enter into such an agreement under its own lease, and will not be called upon to have it ratified by Blackburn Corporation. 6. As soon as the Accrington Steam Tramways Company expresses its satisfaction with these terms in writing, it is at liberty to immediately make use of the loop lines. It was resolved the Committee accept these terms, subject to the consent by Blackburn Corporation being obtained, and the Town Clerk was authorised to seek this consent. May The Town Clerk reported to a Town Council meeting the results of a meeting between the General Works Committee and the Directors of the Tramway Company with respect to the relaying of the Church Section, and outlined the terms on which the group would recommend the Council adopt. These were the Corporation would pay the Tramway Company £200 as compensation for their lost revenue, providing the whole length was re-laid using steel Girder rails on a continuous bed of concrete the full width of the tracks, with all this work to be done to the satisfaction of the Borough Surveyor. Then a letter was received from the Secretary of the Tramway Company, accepting the aforementioned terms on behalf of his Directors. A Committee member brought this meetings attention to the manner in which the granite setts (cobbles), were relaid by the Tramway Company, Some were one inch or more, higher than the adjoining rails after the work had been completed. This was proving to be a source of annoyance if not danger to other modes of transport and conveyance. It was resolved the Town Clerk write to the Tramway Company pointing out this observation and requesting that in future the setts should be level with the top surface of the rails. A report on a conference held on Friday May 22 nd 1894 at 4pm, between the Board of the Accrington Corporation Steam Tramways Company, and a deputation of Accrington Corporation’s Councillors. Representing the Company were - Mr Wilson (Chair), Mr Jeffs (Secretary) and Messrs Waite, Yates and Riley, plus their contractor Mr Taylor. Representing the Council – Alderman Hindle (Mayor), Aldermen Kenyon and Moorley, Councillors Cronshaw, Evans, Grace, Sprake and Wilkinson, along with Mr Aitken (Town Clerk) and Mr Newton (Borough Surveyor). Thomas Hindle was the Chairman. The Councillors discussed at great length the work of relaying the Church Section of the Tramways now in progress and the fact that the specifications, as approved by the Councillors was not

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