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43
The owners of Nos. 6, 7 and 8, Cloth Fair, were duly served with notices under
the Sewers Act, but were not anxious to spend further money on what was only
unsatisfactory property, and invited the Corporation to purchase the site on which these
houses stood in the event of their being demolished instead of being repaired. The
Corporation agreed to purchase the site after it had been cleared. This has now been
done, and the site at present stands vacant. The land on which these houses stood
comprises some 3,000 square feet. It is not a very suitable place on which to build
property, and it would appear to be worthy of consideration whether it should not be left
as an open space after the part necessary for street widening has been taken. The
open grave-yard on which the land abuts, together with this land, would make a
valuable open area, and in addition, the architectural features of the Church of St.
Bartholomew's are so splendidly opened up that that fact adds additional weight to the
suggestion.
As regard the area a Public Enquiry was ordered by the Local Government
Board, to be held at Guildhall, on October 27th, 1914. This was presided over by
one of the Board's Inspectors, Mr. W. H. Collin. Evidence wras submitted by the
Chairman of the Sanitary Committee, and your Medical Officer of Health and the
Acting Engineer.
In the last few days of December, 1914, a communication was received from the
Board stating that the proposal had been approved, and that the scheme would be
forwarded at a later date. In January, 1915, the following scheme which completes all
the necessary preliminaries was received.