Parish Council Minutes (1914)

Post date: Feb 24, 2014 8:10:25 PM

Wateringbury Parish Council Minutes 1914 are held in Kent Archives under reference PC 301/A/1/1.

Summary

Items under consideration in 1914 included

1. Land at conjunction of Cannon Lane with Tonbridge Road, given to Parish by Mr. Brocklebank of Wateringbury Place, for convenience of motor traffic.

2. Fire hydrants⁴ in the village with a special committee led by Owen English.

3. Need for a constable to be stationed during the hopping season near to the church.

4. Need for repair to footpaths and tar spraying of roads as serious dust nuisance since daily passage of motor buses.

5. Request to London & County Bank, Maidstone to provide means in the village for the public to cash cheques one day a week.

6. Subsequent to outbreak of war in August, the election and swearing in of Special Constables.

More detail

February 27 J. Harris, Clerk to the Council writes to Chairman of the Malling District Council

I am requested by the Parish Council of this Parish of Wateringbury, to make application to your council to take steps to improve the entrance to Cannon Lane from the Tonbridge Road. The triangular piece of ground now enclosed has generously been placed at the disposal of this Council in perpetuity by the Owner of Wateringbury Place for the purposes of this improvement and convenience to Motor traffic. It is thought that should the District Council think fit to proceed with the work that the County Council and perhaps the Road Development Board might help in the expense.

5^th March Frederick Allen replies as follows:

Your letter was before my council yesterday. As the subject was considered recently it was decided not to take any action in the matter.

Letter of Jan 30^th 1914 from Owen English for the Wateringbury Special Fire Committee to the Managing Director of Mid-Kent Water Co.

Many thanks for your letter of 4^th ulto & I shall be very much obliged if you will give us information on the following – The cost of hydrants to include fitting & is there anything further to pay after they are once put in & also what make are the three existing hydrants. Is a 2 1/2 inch waterway. Do your pipes come by the cottage on Malling Road side of the Off License top of Cannon Lane and go down by Mr. Goodwin’s to the main road , or do the pipes go up Cannon Lane to Mr. Goodwin & stop, as until we have this information we cannot decide how many hydrants we shall want, & also is it a 4^th waterway thro' Wateringbury Street. I hope I am not asking too many questions but we seemed very lacking in information when we came to talk it out.

Reply from Mid-Kent Water of 17^th February

With reference to your enquiry of the 30^th ult and to our representative’s interview with you last Friday, we are writing to inform you the cost of the 4 Hydrants will be as follows

The first three will be on the 8” trunk main, and as we cannot cut this main without causing a great deal of inconvenience to our ????? we have included for the pulling on a ????? clip and cutting under pressure. In the case of the hydrant in Canon Lane we shall be able to cut this main at night as this a 3” branch-hence the lower cost. In each case we provide for a Glenfield & Kennedy best quality 3” ????? fire hydrant with 2 ½ ???? screwed outlet (London Brigade T thread) in strongly built brick pit with stout frame and cover, the hydrant to be fixed direct on the main. We make no charge for hydrants fixed in the public road but it is to be clearly understood that the cost of repairing them and keeping them in good order is to be borne by the Council.

2. The water main in Cannon Lane does not from the Malling side but comes up from the main road by Wateringbury Place and finishes by Mr. Goodwins at the top of Cannon Lane.

3. The water main from Mereworth through Wateringbury Street down by the station is 8” diameter. We shall be glad to furnish any further information on the matter you may desire.

A memo from O.E. (Owen English) in the book records

In the Village fire Practice have to notify Water Co & they charge the same 2/6 each time. In the event of County Council breaking a Hydrant we have to claim off C.C. and pay the water Co ourselves.

On March 28 clerk writes to Malling Council asking if Parish Council has powers for providing fire hydrants under the provisions of the Parish Council Acts 1894 to which a reply saying they had such powers was received dated March 30^th.

Parish Council meeting at the Church Rooms on Friday March 19^th at 7.50 p.m. Members present Mr. Blest, Chairman, Mr. English, Mr. Cheeseman, Mr. Jude, Mr. Baker, Mr. Tapper, Mr. Sharpe, Mr. Smith.

Resolutions included:

• To accept resignation of Mr. Pawlett as Treasurer and appoint Mr. Jacobs.

• To provide wire protection with iron standards fixed on the wall for portion of cemetery adjoining main road².

• Clerk to write to Chief Constable “requesting him to make provision for a Constable be stationed during the Hoppicking season somewhere near the Church”.

• To get recommendations of Hydrants Committee carried out at once.

• Clerk to write to London & County Bank in Maidstone enquiring if could provide means to encash cheques one day a week.

• To make enquiries re Mr. English’s view that there was a “great want of Cottages in the Parish “. He said Land was vacant and might be obtained for this purpose near the Wheatsheaf near the Duke’s head⁵.

Clerk writes as instructed on April 6^th to bank to which reply on 8^th acknowledging receipt and will make enquiries about opening a bank branch in Wateringbury.

Clerk writes to Lieut Col Warde on April 7^th re constable, who replies as Chief Constable on 9^th saying more important in his view to have constables at cross roads near the Queen’s Head³. Clerk follows up on 22^nd April referring to “unprotected state of Church end of the village” and that “bulk of hop pickers are employed and live on the west side of the Church and many unpleasant incidents occur more especially during the evening and on Sundays and no constable is available on emergency those situated at the cross roads at the King’s Head being too far off.”

Clerk writes to County Surveyor on 20^th April re footpaths and tar spraying.

Annual Parish Council Meeting at Church Rooms on Friday 17^th April. Present Mr Blest Chairman, Rev Livett, Mr. Jude, Mr. Cheeseman, Mr. English, Mr. Sharpe, Mr. Tapply, Mr. Baker. Messrs Baker and Chambers appointed Overseers for following year. Mr. Harris re-appointed assistant Overseer. Mr. English reported he had made further enquiries re the provision of cottages but no one prepared to move a resolution.

A parish Council meeting held at Church Rooms on Friday August¹ 7^th at 7.50 p.m. called to consider a circular letter from the chairman of the Malling Rural District Council “respecting any distress which may arise in consequence of the War”. Mr. White (not present) to be asked to represent the Parish.

Council Meeting on Wednesday August 14^th at Church Rooms at 6.50 p.m. with Messrs. Blest, Tapply , Smith, English, Jude and Baker plus Rev Livett present. “A circular from the chief constable was read by the chairman respecting the advisability as to the electing and swearing in of Special Constables. After discussion by the council a Parish Meeting was held & a committee formed to appoint Special Constables⁶.

One other Council meeting was held that year on October 29^th with no mention of the War but very concerned about improving junction of Canon Lane with the Tonbridge Road.

Notes:

1. War was declared on Germany on 4th August.

2. Implied that this measure advisable because of hoppers.

3. He probably meant the King's Head, which was at the crossroads, rather than the Queen's Head which was between the crossroads and Gransden. Given Warde lived at Barham Court, Teston, and frequently attended Wateringbury events this must be a silly slip.

4. There were already 3 fire hydrants in the village: on Maidstone Road, near Orpines; at bottom of Canon Lane at corner with Wateringbury Place; at top of Canon lane.

5. This becomes a contentious issue again in connection with the Homes for Heroes Initiative towards the end of the war . See Parish Council Minutes of 1918 and 1919.

6. See more detailed report of this meeting in the Parish Magazine of September (Declaration of War 1914 ).