A meeting of the Plans, Highways, and Lighting Committee was held at the Vestry Hall, on Wednesday, the 7th January, 1903, there were present :- Messrs. G. Denton (chairman), W. Bazeley, F. Knight, and W. H. Wilkins.

were presented by:-

Mr. V. Burrows for additions to his factory in Manton-road and passed.

Mr. R. Marriott for 4 cottages in Gordon-street and passed.

Mr. W. Badham for 2 houses on the Higham-road and passed.

Mr. A. Pack for 4 houses on the Higham-road and referred back for drainage system to be shown.

Plans having been presented for the erection of houses on Mr. Fitzwilliam’s Building Estate beyond Mr. T. Sanders’s house on the Higham Road and the Surveyor having drawn the attention of the Committee to the fact that it would be impossible to drain any houses erected on this estate into the Rushden sewers, the Clerk was instructed to endeavour to obtain from the Higham Ferrers Corporation their views as to the making of an arrangement whereby the drainage from this estate might be taken into the Higham sewers and treated at their outfall works.

A letter from the Clerk to the County Council was received, stating that the Roads’ Committee had instructed the County Surveyor to communicate with the Borough of Higham Ferrers and the Urban Districts of Wellingborough and Rushden, asking them the amount upon which they would be prepared to enter into annual agreements for the maintenance of the main roads within their districts. No communication having yet been received from the County Surveyor, it was resolved that the consideration of the matter be deferred until the next meeting.

The Clerk was instructed to proceed with the conveyance from Mrs. Fitzwilliam of the plots of land purchased in Midland-road.

The Surveyor reported that this work was progressing and that a hand gate had been erected on the Bedford-road. It was arranged the sub-committee should inspect this gate and, if approved, order the remaining gates required.

The Surveyor produced his estimate for the making and completing of this road, with a carriage-way 24ft. wide and footways on each side 8ft. wide. The estimate providing for granite kerbs and indurated pavement similar to that near the Independent Wesleyan Chapel, amounted to £979 18s. 9d., and the estimate providing for iron kerbs and asphalt pavement to £773 9s. 9d.

The Clerk was instructed to communicate with the owners concerned asking for an expression of opinion from them as to which kind of pavement should be adopted, and also suggesting to them that in order to save the expense of putting the Private Street Works Act into force they should enter into an agreement with the Council to pay the expenses of making the road.

An application was received from Messrs. Sharman and Archer asking the Council to lower the existing sewer in the Newton-road in order to take the drainage from this estate. The Committee agreed to recommend the Council to take up the existing sewer and relay it at the required level at the expense of the owners of the estate and to have the extensions of the sewer now contemplated laid at the lower level.

The Surveyor reported that during the year ending 31st December plans had been passed for the following buildings:-

The report was adopted.

A meeting of the Finance, Cemetery, and Sanitary Committee was held at the Vestry Hall, on Wednesday, the 14th day of January, 1903. Present: Messrs. J. S. Clipson (chairman), G. Denton, J. Claridge, C. Bates, J. Hornsby, and T. Swindall.

The Committee examined the Surveyor’s cash account with the wages books, the expenditure shown therein being as follows:-

The Collector’s accounts were examined, from which it appeared that during the past four weeks he had received the following sums on the under-mentioned accounts:-

The Treasurer’s Account was examined from which it appeared that the following sums had during the past four weeks been paid to him by the under-mentioned persons on the following accounts:-

The Committee examined the treasurer’s books and found that the following balances were in his hands on the under-mentioned accounts:-

A number of accounts were examined and passed for payment.

The Medical Officer reported that there had been five cases of infectious disease notified since the last meeting, two of typhoid fever (which he had visited and inspected), two of scarlet fever, and one of Membranous croup. The last case was fatal. The officer was unable to trace the origin of the disease in any of the cases, and stated everything appeared to be going on satisfactorily.

The Inspector reported that the cases of infectious disease referred to by the Medical Officer were in Albion-place, Wentworth-road, East Grove, Glassbrook-road, and Duck-street.

He had attended all the cases, and the usual treatment had been carried out as regards inspection and disinfectants.

The Collector submitted a General District Rate which he had prepared in accordance with a resolution of the Council at 2/- in the £ made on the 4th day of June last. The rate amounted to £3,002 4s. 8d., and it was resolved that the Council be recommended to make the same at their next meeting.

A letter from the Co-operative Society with regard to the charges for water was received. The Collector attended the meeting and explained to the committee the basis on which the charges were made and he was requested to see the secretary of the Society and explain the matter to him.

Mr. Spencer asked if it would not be better to refer the matter of the water charges to the Water Committee with a view to revising the basis on which the charges were made. Some people objected to the present method of charging and it seemed that it was possible that water might be supplied at a lower charge in some cases than in others.

The Chairman said the chance of anyone getting more water than others at a lower cost was very remote. At any rate, the amount involved was very, very small.

Mr. Spencer said he was not referring to the paragraph in the report but to the general basis.

Mr. Claridge said there would be a little difference in the case of four cottages owned by four proprietors and the same number of cottages owned by one man.

The subject was then allowed to drop and the report was adopted.

Mr. Bazeley asked if it was not decided, when the Council resolved to impose a fine of 2s. 6d. on occupiers of houses who allowed their chimneys to get on fire, that no action should be taken in cases where it could be proved that the chimneys had been swept within 6 weeks. A case had come to his notice recently, where a fire had occurred within three weeks and three days of the chimney being swept.

The Clerk said it was distinctly understood that in no case would the Council judge a case themselves, but that in all cases the fine should be imposed. It was, of course, open to occupiers to decline to pay, and they would then have an opportunity of putting in their defence to a summons. If they could prove that their chimneys had just been swept they might not then be fined.

Mr. Hornsby asked whether anything had resulted from the question he asked at a previous meeting of the Council with regard to the use of the town water for road repairs.

The Chairman said the Surveyor had used as little of the town water as possible and care had been taken not to interfere with the supply of water for domestic purposes.