Tue 17 Jul 1900
Timber for Dudbridge bottom gates inspected and passed at Messrs Wibby’s yard.
Top gates at Framilode damaged by high tide. Immediate removal needed. Cost of Dudbridge new gates deferred by temporary repairs.
Sewerage system at Ebley improved by Stroud District Council. Might bring additional sewage into canal. Intended larger scheme to remove all sewage from that part of canal. Careful watch to be kept.
£3 3s subscription to Canal Association.
Letter from Board of Trade under Railway and Canal Traffic Act 1888. Thames & Severn Canal would by declared ‘derelict’ and transferred to Gloucestershire County Council. Immediate sanction of Parliament. Second letter. Unexpected opposition. Ratification deferred to next session. Opposition could not eventually succeed.
Committee Meeting held at Wallbridge on Tuesday the 17^th day of July 1900 @ 3 o'clock pm
Present: Mr C H Hooper Chairman, Mr H Hamilton Mills Solicitor, Mr W Davies, Sir W H Marling Bart, Mr P J Evans.
The Clerk reported the timber for Dudbridge bottom Gates inspected and passed at Messrs Wibby's Yard, Gloucester.
The Clerk reported that in consequence of the effected of a high tide the Top Gates at Framilode had received such injury as to necessitate their renewal immediately, and that with the Chairmans sanction he had put them promptly in hand. He thought he might, in these circumstances be able to defer the cost of the Dudbridge new Gates until next half-year, by temporary repairs.
It was decided to follow the precedent of last year and omit the August Meeting of the Committee unless any special need should arise.
The Clerk drew the attention of the Committee to the improvements by the Stroud District Council of their sewerage system at Ebley, and the probability that it might bring additional sewage into the Canal. In view of the intended larger scheme of Sewerage, which will remove from this part of the Canal _all_ sewage, it was decided to do no more at present than keep a careful watch on the matter.
The subscription by the Company of £3..3..0 to the Canal Association was mentioned, and it was decided to continue it for the ensuing year.
The Chairman read a letter of June 30^th addressed to the Clerk (as Clerk of the Thames and Severn Canal Trust) from the Board of Trade, enclosing notice that under the Railway and Canal Traffic Act 1888 (sec 45) the Thames and Severn Canal would be by them declared 'derelict', and transferred to the Gloucestershire County Council, on the application of that Body.. For this they would seek immediate sanction of Parliament.
He also read a second letter, of July 10, from the Board of Trade, showing that upon their application to Parliament, unexpected opposition had arisen, and that, consequently, that ratification of their Order, must be deferred until the next session.
It was however stated to the Committee that, in the opinion, not only of the Board of Trade but also of the Law Office of the Crown, this opposition could not eventually succeed, and that the County Council proposed to undertake preparations for needful works, on the Canal, in anticipation of their coming into possession next spring.
