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

that this would be of any advantage to them, but if the Corporation felt this would be of advantage to the town and would undertake the entire cost of the work, including relaying from the top of ‘little’ Blackburn Road along Abbey Street to Peel Street with girder rails, the Directors of the Company would not object to this work being done. Subject of course to approval by the Board of Trade and a ‘proper’ agreement being signed between the two parties. It was resolved the Council would be recommended not to take up this offer! June The Legal & Parliamentary Committee heard a letter from the Town Clerk of Haslingden asking if Accrington was prepared to join in with a purchase of the Tramway Company’s undertaking providing ‘suitable terms’ could be arranged between them and the Corporations of Accrington and Rawtenstall, or if they wished to wait until the current lease had expired? It was resolved to reply that Accrington Corporation had always been prepared to join with the two authorities in purchasing the Tramway Company on suitable terms. They would be pleased to learn Haslingden Corporation’s views with respect to the terms of purchase. It was further resolved that the Chairman and two councillors from the General Works Committee along with the Mayor would represent the Council at any meetings with Haslingden or Rawtenstall corporations in order to further this resolution. It was additionally resolved that this sub Committee would also explore fully into the advisability of making offers to take over the Church and Clayton-le-Moors portions of the tramway and on what terms, with a view to converting to electric traction, this in the event that no progress was made with Haslingden and Rawtenstall with regard to the ‘joint’ purchase of the Tramway Company. The General Works Committee discussed the ‘slippery’ condition of part of the paving along Blackburn Road. It was unanimously resolved that the ‘Welsh’ granite setts on the south side of the tramlines in Blackburn Road should be taken up and replaced with the ‘rough’ Irish setts now held in stock, with those displaced being re-used where there was no incline. The Legal & Parliamentary Committee heard from the Town Clerk, that he had met with the Engineer of the proposed ACCRINGTON & BURNLEY LIGHT RAILWAY , to discuss a proposal to link the two towns with either electric trams or a light railway. It was the opinion of this Committee that this was a project deserving their support, subject to the interests of the Borough being protected. The Town Clerk was asked to report back, after the plans and draft order had been deposited with him. The Town Clerk reported the Tramways Sub-Committee who had investigated the practicality of taking over the Church and Clayton-le-Moors sections of the tramway for conversion to electric traction had gone carefully into these proposals. They were now in a position to submit their recommendations to the Town Council, but before doing so, had written to enquire if the Tramway Company were prepared to transfer these two sections to the Council. September A letter ( dated the 3 rd ) to James Wilson, the Secretary of the Accrington Steam Tramway Company, read as follows - Dear Sirs, You are aware that a special Committee from this Council has for some considerable time considered the possibility of taking over from your Company the Church and Clayton sections so they may be converted to electric traction. They have obtained accurate estimates of the cost of converting them, and once they have received the terms on which your Company is willing to surrender the lease to the Council, or otherwise, they will be in a position to make a recommendation to the Council on that basis. Will you therefore submit this question to your Directors as soon as is convenient and then kindly inform me of their decision? It will be obvious to your Board that until we know whether or not your Company is prepared to give up these two sections, and the terms you would require to allow this to take place, it would be useless for them to continue any further with their plans and preparations. As one of the concessions the Council would make to your Tramway Company if the sections were taken over, is that they would allow you such accommodation you would

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