[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Giles District].

  • St. Giles (London, England). Board of Works.
Date:
[1877]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Giles District]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    10 annual loss to the District of upwards of £950 in the shape of rates, and the Bill purposed to give extensive powers to the promoters to permanently close streets, and to interfere with the sewers, paving, and other works of the District, and the Board considered that the Bill should be opposed in order that compensation should be made to the District for the loss to be thereby sustained, as also by the interference with the sewer and paving works. Petitions were pre sented to the House of Commons against such Bill by the Board and by the owners of property on the same and several other lines of the proposed new streets; but the Committee of the House, after several days sittings, passed the preamble of the Bill, and declined to grant the petitions of any of the opponents, save those relating to the extension of the Thames Embankment at Millbank, which it struck out of the Bill. Coal Yard and Goldsmith's Alley Improvement. By the 57 Geo. 3, cap. 29, the persons having the control of the pavements in the Metropolis are authorized to widen or extend any of the streets or other public places in their district. At the rear of the street called the Coal Yard, running out of the East side of Drury Lane, is an alley, 52 yards in length, varying in width from 4 ft. 3 in. to 2 ft. 9 in., bounded on the East side by a dwell ing-house and workshops, and on the West by a dead wall, and leading to Charles Street. The workshops at the South end have been recently taken down, and the land whereon the same stood has been purchased by the Guardians of the Poor for the purposes of Casual Wards; access to the same from the Workhouse is by Drury Lane, along the entire length of Charles Street (which street, owing to the low classs of property and the habits of the population, is at all times most objectionable to traverse), or a circuitous route by High Holborn and Newton Street. The Alley, throughout nearly one half its length, is only wide enough for one person to walk at a time, and is used as a urinal, and at night is the scene of much immorality. Under these circumstances, the Board was of opinion that it would be to the public benefit and advantage that the Alley should be widened and improved by converting it into a Street, having a carriageway of not less than 14 ft., and two footways of a width of 3 ft. each. Accordingly the Board has taken steps to purchase the site of the dwelling-house, shed, and workshops, and the vacant ground, lying on the East side of Goldsmith's Alley; at an estimated cost of £3,269 exclusive of professional charges and cost of works, which sum it is estimated will be reduced by sale of the surplus land, by the sum of £1,016 to £2,253—one moiety thereof, not exceeding £1,126 10s., the Metropolitan Board of Works has agreed to contribute as a Metropolitan improvement. To carry out the improvement this Board has agreed to borrow of the Metropolitan Board of Works the sum of £3,000, at £3 15s. per cent., repayable by annual instalments, with interest, within fifty-two years.