Rushden Parks Blueprint
Ministry May Help With Cost

A Parks Committee report, packed with proposals for restoring and developing the parks of the town, was adopted by Rushden Urban Council on Wednesday. There will be bowling greens and tennis courts; an architect will plan the restoration of the old Hall, and the avenue ruined during the war will be replanted.

Responsibility for the cost of restoring Rushden Hall grounds has been accepted in principal by the Ministry of Health. The work will include the planting of a new avenue of trees, but before authorising the scheme the Ministry has asked for tenders to be obtained.

The Council decided to invite these forthwith after hearing from the Parks Committee that the grounds will be restored as nearly as possible to their original condition, except that the new drive will be wider than the old one.

A letter was received from the committee appointed at a public meeting in January, stating that it appeared the demand for accommodation in Rushden Hall, from members of any Community Association that might be sponsored was at the present time insufficient to warrant such an Association accepting responsibility in the matter. When definite plans were made available of Council’s intentions, the demand for the use of the Hall might probably be considerably greater.

The inquiries showed that a demand existed for committee rooms to accommodate from 20 to 60 persons, and that there was also a demand for a hall to accommodate 250 people.

On the advice of the Parks Committee the Council agreed to engage an architect to prepare a scheme for the restoration of the main parts of the Hall.

It was also agreed to seek tenders for the construction of two bowling greens at Rushden Hall, and the Council accepted a £1,200 grant from the Ministry of Education towards the cost of the work.

Hall Park land near the Wymington Road entrance which has been under cultivation is to be brought back into use as part of the park with a view to its ultimate development as a children’s playground.

The Council accepted the tender of Messrs. W. H. Gaze and Sons, of Kingston-on-Thames, for the construction of two hard tennis courts at Spencer Park. The price is £762.

A Scheme for the provision of children’s playground equipment on the various open spaces adjoining housing estates is to be prepared by a sub-committee.

No action was taken on a letter from Rushden and District Trades Council suggestion that vacant land in Newton Road should be used as a recreation ground for children.

Jubilee Park, released by the agricultural Executive Committee is to be levelled – at a cost of about £400 and reseeded.

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One Licence for Two Houses

A strange situation has come to light in the minutes of Rushden Urban Council, which show that the authority issued a licence for one half of a semi-detached house and not the other.

Plans have been passed for both sides of the pair, but as the situation now stands, in theory one prospective owner may go ahead and build, while the other must look on.

The Council minute states; “It was reported that one of the applicants provisionally selected for the issue of a building licence had been unable to proceed in the matter, as he proposed to erect a semi-detached house and the prospective purchaser of the adjoining house had not been successful in obtaining a licence. A letter was received from Mr. P. W. Rich, of 51, Purvis Road, stating that he was the prospective purchaser of the house to adjoin the one already licensed, and asking that in the special circumstances his application should receive further consideration.”

“I expect that the Licensing Sub-committee did not realise that it was a semi-detached house,” Mrs. O. A. H. Muxlow, chairman of the Housing Committee, told a reporter. “It is really idiotic.

“When we investigated the situation, we could not alter it. I expect what we shall do now is to apply for an extra licence, and if we cannot get that we shall have to take a licence off next year’s quota, if they will allow us to do it. Neither of them can start at present.”

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Demolition Order Made for Old Hall

The order was given for the demolition of the old Salvation Army Hall in Queen Street at a cost of £199 when Rushden Urban Council met on Wednesday.

Mrs. Muxlow said she hoped the work would be proceeded with as soon as possible because she understood there had been a nuisance from rats in the building.

The Library Committee has decided to stock some play reading sets. The registry of library borrowers is to be revised and the practice of charging a penny for each ordinary borrower’s ticket will be discontinued.

With a tender of £2,765 – the only one received – Messrs. R. E. Crawley, of Wellingborough, secured a contract for the reconstruction and re-surfacing of Cromwell Road.

Repair and maintenance work licensed by the Council is not to exceed £3,750 during the year ending June 30th 1950.

Four births and 14 deaths were notified during the four weeks ending July 23rd.

The lighting and heating of the Cemetery Chapel by electricity is being considered by the Health Committee.

The Clerk (Mr. A. G. Crowdy) announced that he had recently received thirteen circular letters, ten printed statutory orders and regulations, and three manuals on basic training – all relating to the Civil Defence Act, 1948.

An unchanged rate of 9s 3d in the £ was approved for the half-year ending March 31st 1950, but Councillor J. Allen observed “It appears we are spending rather more than was in the original estimates.”

It was agreed to sell the old isolation hospital to the Radwell Timber Co., Ltd., for £2,350.

The Council has agreed to pay £582 compensation to the owners of the High Street premises formerly used as the British Restaurant. The original claim amounted to £753.

Councillor Allen drew attention to the fact that houses up to a market value of £5,000 could now qualify for loans under the small Dwelling Acquisition Acts. The previous limit was £1,500.

The conservatory at Rushden Hall is now considered unsafe for the elderly people who have used it as a recreation centre, but alternative accommodation is to be found in the house.

Councillor J. T. Richardson was assured that the men could continue at the conservatory until the new arrangements were completed. “Of course,” said Councillor E. A. Sugars, “they do it at their own risk.”

Building plans were as follows: Extension to scullery, 67, St. Margaret’s Avenue, Mr. H. Brown; addition to bedroom, 64, St. Margaret’s Avenue, Mr. A. Partridge; garage, 10, Fern Road, Mr. A. Rudken; washhouse and coal store, 17, St. Margaret’s Avenue, Mr. R. H. Clark; glass-covered way, 10, St. Peter’s Avenue, Mr. R. W. Bazeley; tool and cycle shed, 83, Park Avenue, Mr. K. Edwards; cycle shed, 3, Fern Road, Mr. S. E. Labrum; coal shed, Quorn Road, Mr. E. C. Pearson; extension of store shed, Allen Road, P. Collins and Co. Ltd; portable garage Alpine Road, Mr. F. P. Toby; addition to scullery, 12, Upper Park Avenue, Mr. A. W. Wyman; garage, 7, St. Mary’s Avenue, Mr. H. E. Perkins; garage and factory, Irchester Road, Strong and Fisher, Ltd.; conversion of store rooms to offices, Glassbrook Road, W. Sargent and Co. Ltd; refrigerator room and store, Newton Road, Rushden Industrial Co-operative Society; house, 89, Park Avenue, Mr. D. W. Deighton; house, 87, Park Avenue, Mr. P. W. Rich; printing works, Kings Road and Portland Road, Mr. D. W. Curtis; house, 5, Link Road, Mr. E. H. Frost; conservatory, Irchester Road, Mr. C. Clark.

Members in attendance were Councillors W. E. Capon (Chairman), F. E. Brown (vice-chairman), E. Roe, A. H. Dickens, A. H. Bailey, E. E. Newell, W. J. Keller, J. Allen, Mrs. O. A. H. Muxlow, C.C., C. G. Faulkner, J. H. J. Paragreen, H. Waring, W. J. Sawford, E. A. Sugars, J. T. Richardson and Mrs. A. Rowthorn.

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“Misuse of Public Money”

“A deplorable misuse of the ratepayers’ money” was alleged by Councillor E. J. Roe at Rushden Urban Council meeting on Wednesday, when he opposed a proposal to erect public conveniences costing £500, at the cemetery in Newton Road.

Mr. Roe’s protest failed to find a seconder for his motion to refer the scheme back to committee.

Describing the expenditure as wholly unnecessary and totally unjustifiable at present, he said he could not believe that the building was an urgent necessity or could be considered a public service.

Mr. Roe added: “We are being continually reminded by people in high financial circles that we are passing through a grave crisis. We don’t need to be reminded that the rates of Rushden are higher than ever before.”

It was stated that the building would be within the cemetery and would not have an entrance from Newton Road.