METROPOLIS—TRAFFIC AT HYDE PARK CORNER.—QUESTION. (Hansard, 21 February 1876)

VISCOUNT ENFIELD
wished to put a Question to Her Majesty's Government upon a subject of interest to the convenience of those who lived in and those who visited London. He referred to some plan being adopted to relieve the pressure of the traffic at Hyde Park Corner, which for at least six months of the year was excessive. He believed that several Governments had from time to time considered the propriety of relieving this pressure by making a new road across the Green Park at some point between Park Lane and Apsley House, but it remained for the present officials at the Board of Works to propose, as they did last year, a feasible and popular plan. They set to work in a very business-like way; a model was prepared by direction of the Chief Commissioner of Works; it was exhibited in one of the Committee Rooms of the House of Commons last Session, the opinion and criticisms of both Houses were invited to the subject, and if he might judge from the teneur of the language held by his noble Friends the Chief Commissioner of Public Works in the House of Commons, and the noble Duke the Lord President in their Lordships' House, the Government had every reason to be satisfied with the reception given to their scheme. On the 7th of June last year Lord Henry Lennox, in reply to a Question from Lord Ernest Bruce, From the tenour of the noble Lord's Question, I hope I may consider that he approves the scheme for relieving the traffic at Hyde Park Corner, which is pointed out in the model now exhibiting in the Conference-room; and I am happy to assure the noble Lord that the drawings are all ready, and that as soon as the scheme has been approved by the House of Commons the road will be commenced at once."—[3 Hansard, ccxxiv. 1461.] On the 2nd of July, 1875, the noble Duke (the Duke of Richmond and Gordon), in reply to Lord Redesdale, said— 549 He believed that the model which had been placed in a Committee-room of the other House had been very generally approved. It was thought that the execution of the plan would afford the relief to the traffic which was no doubt required. As soon as the model had been finally approved and adopted it was the intention of the Government, before the end of the Session, to take a Vote for the purpose of making the road, which would be commenced in the autumn, and he hoped that at an early period next year it would be opened to the public."—[3 Hansard, ccxxv. 869.] The Estimate was voted to the amount of £5,000 for this object on the 4th of August. After these declarations he was afraid some disappointment would be felt at nothing having been done, but he trusted their Lordships would hear to-night that this necessary metropolitan improvement, though unluckily postponed, had not been finally abandoned. He begged to ask Her Majesty's Government, Whether, in accordance with the statements made in both Houses of Parliament during the Session of 1875, the new road across the Green Park, to relieve the traffic at Hyde Park Corner, would be commenced and completed with the least possible delay?

THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDON
, in reply to the Question of his noble Friend, had to say that his noble Friend was perfectly correct as to what occurred last year. Speaking from the information derived from the Department of Works, he believed, when he spoke last year, that the new road would be carried out, with the result of affording considerable relief to the traffic at Hyde Park Corner. But at the end of last Session the attention of his noble Relative the First Commissioner of Works was called to certain objections to, and defects in, the plan, which objections and defects had up to that time escaped notice. When, however, from a personal inspection, he satisfied himself that they did exist, he thought it better to defer for another year any actual steps in the way of opening a road rather than run the risk of carrying out a faulty plan. Since then several other plans had been under consideration, but up to this time no satisfactory solution of the difficulty had been come to on the subject.

§ THE EARL OF POWIS
thought that, though the plan of last year might be open to objection, yet a satisfactory road might be made on the lines of the plan 550 if certain modifications were adopted. He thought, for instance, that the scheme of a sub-way under Constitution Hill might be re-considered. A survey made by the Woods and Forests in 1857 showed that without any disturbance of the gradient a head-way of 9 feet or 10 feet might be obtained, which would be sufficient for most of the traffic, as it would suffice for broughams, cabs, and open carriages.

§ LORD HAMPTON
observed that the noble Duke had not stated what were the objections to, and defects in, the plan of last year. He believed the sub-way was the true mode of meeting the difficulties of the case.

§ THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE
said, the real difficulty was this—they could not run one flow of traffic across another without causing a block. Down from Hamilton Place and Park Lane there would be a flow of traffic which must cross the great traffic along Piccadilly. The traffic in that part of London—both the traffic coming down from the direction of Oxford Street and that along the line of Piccadilly itself—had enormously increased of late years. He knew that a sub-way was open to certain objections because of its interference with the course of sewers and gas mains, but he had a firm conviction that it was the only solution of the question.