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27
the Council would have been approached on the subject immediately
after Christmas.
I saw his Lordship after you called upon me, and am now authorised
to communicate to the Committee, through you, the offer which, but for
the circumstances above mentioned, would have been made to the Council
before now.
His Lordship is willing to convey to the Council free of cost the piece
of land on the South side of Grove Cottages, marked by the number 9 in
red ink on the accompanying plan, for the purpose of the erection of
Working Class Dwellings.
I ought, however, to say that there are one or two conditions which he
attaches to his gift.
1. That the Dwellings to be erected should be used for the poorer
class of workman, whose total income does not exceed 25/- a week.
2. That the plans of the proposed buildings should be submitted to
his Lordship's Surveyor, Mr. H. T. Steward.
3. That the northern line of the plot should be set back 5 feet, and
that in addition the buildings to be erected should have a forecourt of
some 5 feet.
When the plot marked 3 on the plan comes to be dealt with, the
southern boundary line of that plot will be set back such a distance as,
with the 5 feet to be taken of plot 9, will make the roadway of Grove
Cottages 40 feet wide.
I understand that the Public Health Committee meet to-morrow, and
perhaps you will lay my letter before them then, and let me hear from
you in due course the views of the Council upon it.
Believe me,
Yours truly,
(Signed) H. W. Cave.
Dr. L. C. Parkes.
The land offered as a gift by Earl Cadogan, K.G., to the Borough
Council for the purpose of a housing scheme for the lower-wage earning
classes, is freehold, and lies on the south side of the private approach
road to Grove Cottages. It is now in the occupation of Messrs. Birch,
cartage contractors to the Government Post Office, and there are 5 onestoreyed
houses fronting Manor-street on the site.
The land measures 292 feet in width with an average depth of 73
feet, the total area being about 21,316 square feet, or 0.489 acre (not
quite half an acre).
I prepared and submitted a scheme for the utilisation of the land
offered by Lord Cadogan for the erection of Working Class Dwellings,
which was approved by the Public Health Committee, and submitted to
the Borough Council on the 27th March. The Council resolved to
accept Lord Cadogan's generous offer, to abide by the conditions attaching
to the gift, to provisionally approve of the scheme indicated in the
Committee's report, to authorise the Housing Committee to prepare a
scheme on the lines indicated in the report, and to refer the matter to
the Finance Committee for consideration, and to bring up the necessary
financial estimate.
On the 1st May, the Finance Committee reported that they were
unable to submit an estimate until they had some reliable figures to