The cost of keeping up the ’ossroad
ROCK star Rod Stewart was in the news recently, filling in potholes near his Essex mansion. The state of the roads and what we pay towards their upkeep has been a bugbear for many folks, ever since our local authorities were created in Victorian days.
Today, millions of cars and lorries pound the streets, taking a daily toll of wear and tear. One hundred years or more ago there may have been less traffic, and much of it was still horsedrawn, but there was still a cost to keeping the roads in a fit condition.
We have an insight into those costs from an old document loaned to the Bugle by regular contributor John Taylor. Every year, local authorities published their accounts so that ratepayers could see how their money was spent. John has a copy of the 1910-11 yearbook released by Stourbridge Urban District Council.
Among the reports and tables is that drawn up by the borough surveyor, Frederick Woodward, who was in charge of maintaining the district’s roads, among other duties.
At that time Stourbridge UDC was responsible for a total of 21 miles, seven furlongs and 152 yards of roads, six miles and 81 yards of which were main roads, while the rest were ordinary roads.
The cost of maintaining the main roads was £1,188. 16s., a little less than the year before, while £96. 16s. 2d. was spent on maintaining the main road footpaths.
586 tons of stone and 115 tons of chippings and sand were used in repairs, while 2,855 loads of mud and 2,324 loads of “dry sweepings” were removed from the roads, along with 68 loads of snow – considerably less than the previous year, thanks to a milder winter.
These days we expect roads to be covered in “tarmac” but in the early 20th century that was a relatively recent innovation. Woodward wrote: “During the last few years many different materials have been placed on the market as Road Binders,
in addition to Tar, which only proves that a very great change has become necessary in Road Construction, owing principally to Motor Traffic. “Tar properly prepared has a great future, and in my opinion will be used more than any other material.” So confident was Woodward in the future of tar that he recommended the council to build “an up-to-date Tar Macadam Plant at our depot.” It would cost, he estimated, £600 to erect and be able to mix 50 tons a day at a cost of 7d a ton. With their own plant, the council could then make roads much more cheaply. 1910-11 had seen a section of Red Hill relaid with tarmac, while 1,400 square yards of Greenfield Avenue had been relaid with the more expensive “Rocmac”, which used granite but had a longer life expectancy. Hagley Road, Market Street, Worcester Street and Norton Road has been “tar painted as a dust preventative.” The raising of dust by traffic was a constant problem, particularly in the summer, and the dust was kept down by spraying the road surface with water: “The quantity of water used for Street Watering is 2,597 loads, against 5,650 loads the previous year. This is less than one half the quantity used last year, and a third less than the average during the last 12 years, owing principally to Tar
Paining and a wet season. Watering was done on 53 days during the year, against 70 days the previous year.”
Woodward’s report goes on to detail more of the money spent that year:
“The total amount paid for Wa g e s during th e year was £1,787. 6s. 9d., which is made up by and includes: Manual Labour, Main Roads, £445. 19s. 5d., Other Roads, £400. 17s. 4d., Team Labour Main Roads, £165. 17s.
10d., Other Roads, £106. 18s 9d., Stone Breaking, £9. 6s. 4d., Steam Roller Hire, £17. 3s. 9d.”
The UDC had 539 street lamps, with two extra installed in 1910-11, both in Wollaston, one in Meriden Avenue and the other in Eggington Road. The cost of street lighting was £1,505. 15s. 9d.
Part of Frederick Woodward’s legacy can still be seen today. He designed the Carnegie library buildings, built 1903-04, that stand on the corner of Church Street and Hagley Road. A few years later an extension was added with the Isaac Nash Memorial Clock Tower. The building later became the art school and is now apartments.
Woodward also designed the public baths, which opened in 1901. Woodward’s swimming baths were demolished in the 1980s to make way for the Crystal Leisure Centre.