Bedford Road Path And Boundary Difficulty
Which County Should Council Approach?
Car Parking Chaos
44-Hour Week Favoured For Employees

  Dr. D. G. Greenfield was the leading speaker on almost every question that was discussed at the Rushden Urban District Council meeting on Wednesday, and he was anxious to find a course of action by which an important footpath extension that the County Council is commencing in Bedford-road can be carried to the point that Rushden desires.  It is, apparently, a difficult problem, involving the county boundary and the question whether Northamptonshire or Bedfordshire is responsible.  A fatal accident occurred last year at the spot where the path is required.

  The doctor also appealed for attention to the car-parking question and the blind corner in Washbrook-road between Moor-road and Midland-road.  Without discussion the Council declared itself in favour of a 44-hour week for municipal employees and against dancing at Rushden Hall.

  Dr. Greenfield asked the Surveyor (Mr. J. W. Lloyd) if he was right in the assumption that the County Council were now proceeding with the construction of a footpath along Bedford-road as far as the Wymington turn.

  The Surveyor: Yes, that is so.

Whose Job?

  Dr. Greenfield observed that the understanding with the County Council was that they should go as far as the Wymington turn.  For the next 400 yards the road was repairable by the Bedfordshire County Council, and the Rushden Council wanted the footpath taken along this section as far as the Court Estate.  He wondered if the Highways Committee could take the necessary measures to ask the responsible authorities to continue the path to this spot and to find whose job it was to do it.

  The Chairman (Mr. J. T. Richardson) said he would like to see the path continued, and if it was the duty of the Beds. County Council to do the work he thought they should approach them.

  Dr. Greenfield: Perhaps the Clerk could say whose duty it is to make the footpath up when the road is repaired?

  The Clerk (Mr. W. L. Beetenson): There is an arrangement between the Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire County Councils, but as to who is responsible for the footpath on the left-hand side I cannot say.

  Dr. Greenfield said he thought the County surveyor had met them extremely well, and if the County Council were responsible they could not bother them for another year, but if it was Bedfordshire they might apply to them.

Deadlock Danger

  The Clerk: The Bedford authority are responsible for half the road, but whether they would agree to putting a footpath there I don’t know.

  Mr. Hornsby: If it is not their liability I consider we ought to undertake it as far as the Avenue-road turn.

  The Clerk said any request to the Beds. Authorities ought to go from the Northamptonshire County Council and not from Rushden.

  Mr. Sugars suggested that the Surveyor should have a chat with the County Surveyor.

  The Chairman: We did have a chat with Mr. Black the other week, and I am very glad he is prepared to go as far as he is.

  Mr. Richardson added that he was anxious to avoid a deadlock.

  Mr. Dilks: If the Surveyor got into touch with the County Surveyor it would help to clarify the matter.  We want to know who is responsible – the Northamptonshire County Council or the Bedfordshire Council.

  Dr. Greenfield: Exactly.

  It was finally decided that the Surveyor should make inquiries of the County Surveyor.

Car Nuisance

  It was decided to disallow the use of the Station-road depot for the free parking of motor vehicles and to let the depot to the County Council, who have for some time utilized if for the storage of road materials, at a rent of £10 per annum.

  Dr. Greenfield said it was very obvious that there was a great need for additional free parking places in the town and asked whether the Highways Committee would consider the possibility of providing such places.

  The Chairman said this had arisen because they had used the depot as a free parking place, and Mr. J. Joyce, seeing that it was fenced in and belonged to the Council, had made an offer for it.

  Dr. Greenfield said there were many people in the town who habitually parked their cars in places where they were not supposed to be parked at all.  He was about the town constantly and saw the same cars in the same positions for several hours a day.  It was a great nuisance, and although this was primarily a matter for the police he thought it was for the Council to see whether new parking places could not be provided.

  The doctor emphasized the nuisance and danger that often existed in Queen-street.

“Time To Insist”

  The Chairman said he thought the time was coming when the Council would have seriously to consider this question, determine where the parking should be done, and insist that people park the cars in the places provided for them.  He would like the committee to consider what places easy of access could be used, and he had no doubt that they would do so.

  Mr. Cox said that, as the members were aware, the difficulty was to find anywhere in the town that was suitable for a parking place large enough to hold a number of cars.  The streets seemed to be the only places they could use at the present time.  He was quite sure, however, that the committee would consider the question.

  Dr. Greenfield said he did not want to harass the Highways Committee, but a few months ago he put a question to them about the hoarding that surrounded the derelict factory at the corner of Moor-road and Midland-road.  The corner, being blind, was a great danger to traffic.  The hoarding went right up to the actual boundary of the street, and traffic going out from Midland-road and Moor-road would benefit very considerably if the hoarding was put back or demolished.

  The Clerk: The committee have that in hand and probably they will report.

  Mr. Cox: That is so.  I think there is no real obstacle if the Council agree to it at their own risk.

Replacement Houses
Temperance Band Not to Play for Dancing at Hall

  The Sanitary Inspector (Mr. F. S. F. Piper) reported that seven two-bedroom non-parlour houses were required to re-house tenants who would be displaced as the result of demolition orders.  He was instructed to prepare plans and invite tenders for the construction of these houses on the Irchester-road estate, and to obtain tenders for making “a short length of road.”

  Dr. Greenfield, who suggested that the report was ambiguous, was informed that the length of road would be about 50 yards.

  Dr. Greenfield: I know it isn’t very much, but “a short length” might mean a mile.

  Mr. Sugars: Is there any particular date when these houses are likely to be commenced?

  The Clerk said that tenders had not yet been invited, but something should be known by the time of the next meeting.

  The Chairman said they had yet to get the consent of the Ministry.

  A 40-hour working week for Council employees, without reduction of pay, had been considered by the Finance Committee in view of the Dagenham Urban District Council’s intention to move in the matter at the forthcoming conference of the Urban District Councils Association.  The committee recommended that, having regard to the hours worked in the local industries, the Council should not support the proposal, but should support a 44-hour week.  The Council’s men now work 47 hours.

Bowlers’ Complaint

  Following a letter of complaint from the Spencer Park Bowling Club the Parks Committee had inspected the greens and agreed that the complaints were justified.  The Surveyor (Mr. J. W. Lloyd) had been instructed to carry out certain works and report on the results.

  Free use of the greens was allowed for a singles bowls championship in aid of Northampton Hospital.

  The Rushden Swimming Club applied for alterations and extensions of their facilities at the bath, but the committee was unable to recommend any extension of hours.  It was agreed, however, to allow male members to instruct the ladies on ladies’ nights.

  The Temperance Band applied for permission to play light music for dancing from the Hall bandstand on four evenings during the present season, but the committee refused the application because “it would not be in the best interests of the grounds to allow dancing therein.”

  A charge of twopence per session was fixed for the use of the chairs purchased for the bandstand enclosure.

  It was agreed to keep the Hall Museum open until 5 0’clock each day during the summer months.

 A cricket pitch in Jubilee Park was allotted to the Tecnic Boot Co. at a charge of £1 for the season.

  The house No. 222, Wellingborough-road, was certified as being fit for human habitation.

New Hotel

  Building plans were as follows: Two houses, Prospect-avenue, Messrs. T. Swindall and Sons; two houses, Blinco-road, Messrs. T. Swindall and Sons; house, Pratt-road, Mr. E. Wright; new Feathers Hotel, High-street, Messrs. Wells, Ltd. (subject to the County Council’s approval of the building line); bungalow, Bedford-road, Mr. W. F. Steel; five lock-up garages, Little-street, Mrs. E. B. Leaton; garage at 18, Griffith-street (subject to consent of adjoining owner); shed at rear of Compass Inn, High-street South, Messrs. P. Phipps and Co., Ltd.; garage at 32, Carnegie-street, Mr. T. S. Whiting.

  A plan submitted by the owners for the lay-out of the remainder of the Rushden Hall building estate was approved subject to any scheme of town planning that may be evolved in the near future.  The plan provides for eventual connections with Irchester-road and Wymington-road.

  A letter from the County Council negatived the Rushden Council’s claim that under the new scheme for the administration of registration functions Rushden with the adjoining towns and villages should be constituted a separate registration district.  Rushden, the letter stated, was already served by the head office of a sub-district, and its requirements were adequately met by this arrangement.

  The Finance Committee expressed dissatisfaction with this decision.

Assessments Up

  The Rating Committee reported assessment increases totalling £396.

  Mr. Allebone, Mr. Cox, the Clerk and the Surveyor were deputed to attend the conference of local authorities under the Town and Country Planning Act.

  Presenting the Health Committee’s report, Mr. Allen said it was satisfactory to the Council and the public generally to know that the milk supplied in the town kept up to a high standard.

  Members in attendance were Messrs. J. T. Richardson (Chairman), W. E. Capon (Vice-Chairman), J. White, J. Roe, T. W. Cox, F. Green, D. G. Greenfield, M.D., L. Perkins, M.B.E., J. Allen, J. S. Denton, A. Wilmott, J. E. Dilks, H. Waring, W. J. Sawford, J. Hornsby and E. A. sugars.  The Chairman announced that Mr. John Spencer, J.P., who had just returned from a week’s holiday, had been taken ill during the day.