Report by the Joint committee of the House of Lords and the House of Commons on public sewers (contributions by frontagers) : together with the proceedings of the committee and minutes of evidence and speeches delivered by counsel.
- Great Britain. Parliament. Joint Committee on Public Sewers
- Date:
- 1936
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report by the Joint committee of the House of Lords and the House of Commons on public sewers (contributions by frontagers) : together with the proceedings of the committee and minutes of evidence and speeches delivered by counsel. Source: Wellcome Collection.
111/126 (page 83)
![26° Maii, 1936.] Mr, least, unfortunate that there should be a definite stimulus to not joining up to them. Mr. Wrottesley.| This might help your Lordship on that. I have just asked more carefully,—I thought it was the view of my clients—and I find that we should think the Committee had _pro- tected all that was really essential to be protected by protecting premises in existence at the passing of the Act. We should regret seeing legislation in a form which might invite people to go on constructing houses and draining them to cesspools. Chairman.] You mean that people building houses after the Act know what they are in for? Mr. Wrottesley.] Yes. It would probably be in the public interest to discourage that, and therefore to make the important time perhaps the passing of ‘the Act rather than the construction of the sewer would simplify matters. We do not want to ask anything un- reasonable, Lord Macmillan.] That really chimes largely with what Mr. Maude’s report indicates as the simplest method, although it has some drawbacks. ‘‘ The simplest method would appear to be to provide that a charge is not to be made against premises which are developed at the date on which the sewer is con- structed,’ and by ‘‘ developed’? I understand that he means lands which have buildings upon them? Witness.}] Yes. Mr. Tyldesley Jones. 36. Until re-development ?—Yes. Lord Macmillan.| You might figure this case, proceeding by example rather than by generalities, Suppose you take a mile of high-way repairable by the public and there is no sewer laid in that mile. It is one of those new arterial highways one mile long. You start to walk along it, and the first thing you encounter on the mile walking on the left hand is a field in which you see cows grazing, That would be exempt, would it not, if you put a sewer down? Mr. Tyldesley Jones.| That is agri- cultural land. Lord Macmillan.] I say that would be exempt. That is the first thing. It has not a house on it at all. The first thing I meet is a nice field with a lot of cows in it. That is manifestly agricul- tural land? | Continued. Mr. Tyldesley Jones.| May we be care- ful about this? It is not exempt; it is exempt for the time being—postponed. Witness.| That is the very land one wants to hit? Lord Macmillan. 37. We are at cross purposes. J mean nothing would be payable in respect of that land if you put down a sewer aan the moment. 38. Yes. I can understand that. ‘That is the first thing. The state of matters would remain as it is. So long as the farmer grazes his cows there, he would pay nothing. The next thing I encounter is the recreation grounds of Messrs. A. B. and Co., the well-known manufacturers, who have laid out a fodtball ground and cricket pitch occupying a frontage of about 300 or 400 yards. What is their position when the sewer is constructed ? I am not speaking of the deferred pay- ment?—That would be developed land, exempt until re-development. Chairman. 39. What about the pavilion?—That. would be exempt. Lord Macmillan. 40. That is an existing building P—That is an existing building. Chairman.| Supposing there was a cricket ground and no pavilion and they built a pavilion, would that develop the whole land? Mr. Tyldesley Jones.| Would your Lordship assist us to follow by telling us what clause you are asking Mr. Maude to construe at the moment? Lord Macmillan.] He is proposing here what would be the best way to deal with the situation. I am merely considering what would be the best illustration, and IT am taking a mile of road, of new road, which is repairable by the public as a highway. It has been put down there and it contains no sewer. You are look- ing along this road and saying ‘‘ Shall we put a sewer down there’’, or ‘‘ shall we exhort the local authorities to put a sewer there’’. We should look at the conditions obtaining. You find first of all agricultural land, and you say: ‘‘ We cannot count on gatting any contribution from these people at present ’’? Witness.|] At present. Sir Henry Cautley.] Is that quite clear? The land is not agricultural land, is itP](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b32186022_0111.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
