Plymouth, Tramways | Plymouth and Devonport (Extension) Tramways Company | Plymouth and Devonport (Extension) Tramways Act 1886

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TRAMWAYS | PLYMOUTH AND DEVONPORT (EXTENSION) TRAMWAYS COMPANY

PLYMOUTH AND DEVONPORT (EXTENSION) TRAMWAYS ACT 1886

Updated: 07 August 2011

The Plymouth and Devonport (Extension) Tramways Act 1886, which received the Royal Assent on September 25th 1886, authorised the incorporation of a company by that name to purchase the lines already constructed by the Plymouth, Devonport and District Tramways Company, to complete the system as authorised by the Plymouth, Devonport and District Tramways Act 1882 and construct new lines.

Because of the controversy over the old company using steam power rather than animal power, this new Act specified that if any other means of propulsion was used the sanction of both Plymouth and Devonport Corporations must be obtained and it was open to review every seven years by the Board of Trade.

Mr James Kirkwood and Mr Charles Sanders Wright were the promoters and the authorised capital was £80,000 in £10 shares.

The Act renewed the powers granted under the Plymouth, Devonport and District Tramways Act 1882 in respect of the following lines:

Line 1 (originally Line 5) - From Belle Vue Place, North Road, to Fore Street, Devonport, terminating outside the Devonport Public Hall;

Line 2 (originally Line 6) - From the previous line at its junction with Valletort Road to outside the Railway Inn, in Albert Road, Stoke;

Line 3 (originally Line 7) - From line 1 at Lower Stoke Road to the north end of Molesworth Road, Stoke.

With regard to the lines in Plymouth, the junction of Frankfort Street and Russell Street was to be improved and the track in Richmond Street, which caused the collapse of the original undertaking, was to be doubled. The alternative was to put a new line through York Street.

One interesting clause in this Act benefited both the local authorities. If the profit made should be more than is sufficient to pay a dividend of £7 10s per annum, then the Company must pay each of the authorities a rent of £20 per mile, which must be applied by them to maintaining and improving the roadways.

Finally, the Company were bound to providing a tram each way every morning and evening at a cheap fare for the benefit of artisans, mechanics and day labourers.

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