QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 12 February 1877)

§ EARL FORTESCUE
asked Her Majesty's Government, Whether they are prepared to take early steps, by opening a new communication between Piccadilly and Grosvenor Place, to divert the traffic coming from the north and east into Belgravia, which has during certain hours of the day during several seasons caused such a highly inconvenient block of vehicles at Hyde Park Corner; and whether, to afford some slight relief meanwhile, they will cause the roadway at Hyde Park Corner to be widened forthwith seven or eight feet by throwing the footpath there further back and carrying it through the two little gardens to the north of each side of the Arch at the top of Constitution Hill? The noble Earl said that the crush to which his Question referred had been long increasing year after year. It had been for the last two years such as would be discreditable to any civilized metropolis, and in his opinion was all the more discreditable to London because this was the richest capital in the world. Year after year there had been various projects for the relief of the block; but as yet nothing had been done. In these matters we moved very slowly. In 1845 he was a Member of a Committee of the House of Commons on Metropolitan Communications which took evidence, and carefully considered the various recommendations embodied in its Report, and among others one which he had the honour of making to it—namely, that of the opening of Hamilton Place, which was carried into effect just a quarter of a century afterwards. The relief afforded by this was very great; but since it was adopted the wealth of London and the number of conveyances having to pass by Hyde Park Corner had enormously increased, and every year the block caused by the traffic there was becoming greater and greater. Even the slight measure which he now suggested, though totally inadequate to the requirements of the case, would give appreciable relief by affording width for one additional line of carriages; and it had the advantage, that there would be no difficulty and little expense in adopting it.

§ THE EARL OF BEACONSFIELD
My Lords, the subject which the noble Earl has brought before us is one which 164 interests everybody. I assure him that it has not been neglected by Her Majesty's Government; but he who is so well acquainted with the subject will readily understand that there are great difficulties connected with it. Several plans have been under the consideration of the Board of Works, and one of them has been favourably considered; but the difficulties which have to be encountered successfully before that plan can be carried into effect are considerable, and I am sorry to say that not the least considerable would arise from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for the plan would be expensive, though I believe it would be effective and satisfactory. I hope the noble Earl will be satisfied with the answer I give him as to the first part of his Question—that the subject is engaging the sedulous attention of the First Commissioner of Works. With respect to the second part of the Question—whether the Government will adopt the suggestion of the noble Earl—the answer that I have to make is that the scheme has been considered by the Board of Works. According to the report made to me, in their opinion the remedial effect would be infinitesimally small, while the expense would not be trifling. Moreover, we must recollect that it is an expense that would be entirely thrown away, and would therefore be a useless addition to the expenditure that must be encountered in the carrying out of an effective plan.

§ THE EARL OF POWIS
said, he believed a great improvement might be made at a moderate cost, and one which would give a substantial relief at Hyde Park Corner, by very nearly following the lines of the plan exhibited last year. The proposal of last year for constructing a subway failed, because it unduly raised the level of the roadway where it ran under Constitution Hill, and the reason for desiring a bridge of the height which would do that was to enable carriages, waggons, &c., to pass under. His suggestion was that a gravel slope might be made from the end of Hamilton Place to the Green Park, passing by a subway under Constitution Hill. He would make the subway so that it would only raise the road on Constitution Hill imperceptibly—a foot at most. This would give sufficient headway to persons riding on 165 horseback, broughams, cabs, and ordinary carriages. He believed that taking away this light traffic and a large quantity of the foot traffic as well would be a very sensible relief to the road opposite St. George's Hospital. It was obvious that all traffic going from Victoria Station to the north-western district and Paddington would pass along this suggested route; and he believed the subway might be made at a moderate cost.

§ THE EARL OF REDESDALE
said, he had himself submitted a plan to the Board of Works some time ago, and he supposed that plan still remained there. The suggestion which he had made was, that the Wellington Arch should be left for the Queen as an entrance to her private gardens, and that with it a small portion of the upper corner of the Park should be added to them. That there should be a road from Hamilton Place to Halkin Street, over which the Queen's private road should pass on a bridge on the level of the roadway at the Arch. The soil from the cutting would supply the necessary embankment which, being within the garden, might be planted with shrubs and trees, and would not be unsightly. Another road to be carried from Hamilton Place to Constitution Hill, to be used by carriages like other roads in St. James's Park, affording a direct communication from Piccadilly to Parliament and Lower Westminster without entering Grosvenor Place. He believed that this plan would afford greater public accommodation than any other hitherto proposed.

LORD DUNSANY
said, that the heavy traffic in the neighbourhood of Hyde Park was greatly on the increase, and it would be well to consider whether a subway might not be made from Grosvenor Place to some distance the other side of Hyde Park. It would be impossible to make a subway of similar length in any other part of the metropolis for so moderate a sum, because there would be no purchase of property until the subway was carried to the lower end of Grosvenor Place.

§ EARL FORTESCUE
protested against the notion that what he had suggested need cost more than very little. The same pavement, railings, and lamp-posts would be available for use again after widening the roadway. But, from what he had heard of the unreasonable expen- 166 siveness of much of the work done by the Board of Works, he thought it very likely they would contrive to make even this very costly.