NEW STREETS FOR LONDON

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 5199, 13 February 1904, Page 9

NEW STREETS FOR LONDON

COSTING- NINE MILLIONS A MILE. It is believed as a result of tho attention which tho. Royal Com mission on London Locomotion is giving to the question that among its recommendations will lie ono strongly urging the necessity of several new lines of thoroughfare iu London (says tho “Daily News.”) Some misunderstanding has arisen over tho suggestion in favour cf n mstreet from the Strand to tho Crystal Palace. Although tho cost of such a scliomo was dealt with by Mr Andrew Young, valuer to tho London County 'Council, in his evidence before the commission, it must not he supposed that tho County Council has any idea of bii-lurring forward any proposal of tho kind, nor that it has'ever, contemplated doing so. The true situation is tiuis. Various witnesses have made proposals to tho Royal Commission for forming extensive now thoroughfares in London, aud Mr Young, as tho —.C.C. valuer, was invited to give some general idea aa to tho cost of carving out new streets through tho crowded parts of London. Mr Young, by way of illustration, dealt with a proposal’, that was placed before the commission for a now road from Aldwyeli, in tho Strand, crossfug tho Thames between Waterloo' and Blackfriars bridges, and continuing through Southwark and Camberwell to a point near tho Crystal Palace.. This is a length of nearly seven miles and Mr Y r oung estimated that the necessary property could only ho acquired at a cost of 1J millions per mile, or »oma 12 millions fin all. Tiro scheme, however, would bo the least cosjily of any that, have been suggested to the commission far creating new thoroughfares in London. Mr Young was ahlo to show the commission that in the more central parts of London the cost of acquiring property would of necessity bo very much gront» in South London. The Holborn-Stra.nd improvement, for instance, lis working out at the rate of nine millions per mile. Of course, tho recoupment in all cases would ho considerable. In the new Holborn-Strand case nearly 8S) per cent, of tho estimated gross cqg.t will he received from tlio sale of surplus land when the improvement is complete.