[1] William Edward Riley was born in Yorkshire and educated at Batley Grammar School, with stays in France and Italy.
[2] In 1899, Thomas Blashill, originally from the Metropolitan Board of Works, retired from the post of chief architect to London County Council.
[2] There was a tension among the members and officers of the London County Council on whether the council's function was to enhance London as a world-class city, building monuments that befitted its role as the leading city in the world's greatest empire, or the utilitarian function of providing homes and services and buildings for the poor.
They also produced Totterdown Fields estate—as the first and model cottage garden estate—and it was Riley who signed off the plans.
A RIBA enquiry was set up in 1915 and Riley suggested that the profession was "overloaded by a sub-stratum of incompetent private members who could not obtain employment".
[2][a] RIBA proposed a competition to LCC in April 1906, complete with a complex set of regulations on who should determine the winner.
Riley opposed the concept but counter-proposed that, if a competition was to take place he and Shaw should be the assessors and the winner should work with his department on matters of internal economy and detail using Liverpool Cathedral as a precedent.
[4] The designs were to be by 27 August 1907: Riley had the dual role of assessor and joint architect, his employee Gingham drew up the detailed specification, and he had published indicative plans which were included in the book of conditions.