Scope and Content
Two letters complaining about losing Allotment land near Devon Road if project goes ahead as planned;
one from Ruth Redman of 152 Howbury Street, Bedford; 'We own one of these pieces of land and have been informed that it is likely to be confiscated, we are anxious to prevent this if possible as this small piece of land provides us with a great deal of our food. It is situated next to the garden of number one Devon Road and embraces ten pole of land; last year we produced from our land 50lb blackcurrants, 100lb of raspberries and 30lb of strawberries, we also had many bushels of apples. We keep six hens there, which we would be unable to maintain in the small garden adjoining our house and we get five eggs per day. We grow our own vegetables. I hope you can advise us how to combat this move made by the Council, this Country was once free but now it seems that the poor man does not own his property it can be taken from him without his consent. We paid £65 for this piece of land, the main value being the fruit on it, it will naturally not be worth this price to the Council if they did provide us with another piece of land it would be years before we could produce the fruit which we are now producing. My father will be acquiescent to this nazi-like move, but I feel very strongly about the matter as we have worked very hard to pay for and maintain this piece of ground. There are many others in our position who I am sure must feel the same, in a small way the position is similar to the communist annexation of Czechoslovakia. Surely Bedford a town famous for its schools has enough of them'; 10 April 1948
another from R G Montague of 38 Risborough Road, Bedford, states 'I am concerned to note that it is proposed to take so much ground which is highly cultivated for this purpose, when there appears to be plenty of land nearby uncultivated, especially as I know several owners of these plots get their living from them. In my own case, I bought the ground during the war, paying more for it than it was worth to help the war effort, by growing some of that food we were told was necessary, and in this respect while the Dig for Victory has been changed to Work or Want, I understand that food question is still vital. Therefore, if the proposed scheme is proceeded with are the other tenants and self to be offered alternative land in place of these plots?...; 13 April 1948
Reply to R G Montague 'If planning is to proceed intelligently it must have the co-operation of all, and the school site has been planned within convenient reach of the scholars likely to use it. An older plan of Bedford will show you many parts which were originally cultivated and I feel sure that you, with many others, enjoy the social amenities which have replaced these cultivations. ...The Education Committee will certainly apply for compulsory powers to acquire the land, but it is only the Minister of Education who can make the Order. Any objection is taken into consideration, and you are therefore at liberty to lodge an objection or to agree to sell willingly. If you adopt the latter course we can ask the District Valuer to meet you and discuss the price...'; 15 April 1948
Drawing E/B28/P1/16; Small extract from Ordnance Survey map with area (0.25 acres) to North East of Kimbolton Avenue/Dover Street highlighted within larger area of 17.706 acres; scale 1/2500; December 1947
Similar drawing B5/28 but smaller area (0.062 acres) highlighted within larger area of 13.5 acres; scale 1/2500; December 1947 'copy of plan sent to District Valuer and Mrs E Pickin, 28 Howbury Street, Bedford'
Similar drawing B5/28 but showing allotment plots; scale 1/2500; December 1947
Memo from Director of Education mentions Mrs Pickin has refused to negotiate the sale of a plot of land; states they have purchased some allotment plots but not all; 14 August 1959
Letter from Mrs Elizabeth Pickin, 28 Howbury Street; 'regarding my garden in Caves Lane, I had not considered selling it, as it not only provides me with ample fruit, but it is a quiet isolated spot, which I would find great difficulty in replacing. Owing to my husband's ill health over the last eighteen months it has been neglected. Should the Council require this land, I will reluctantly consider any proposals'; 25 May 1959
Memo from County Architect to District Valuer mentions that terms for the purchase of some plots had been agreed, some others were under negotiation, and some were under preliminary negotiations; 'It may, of course, be necessary to adjust the southern boundary of the school site to fit in with the boundaries of the separate allotment plots'; 16 June 1959
Letter from Chief Public Health Inspector to County Architect states 'a member of your staff, Mr W C A Woodman [later identified as Clerk of Works], has stationed a caravan at the rear of Newnham Modern School which is now under construction. ...In this instance there are occupying the caravan two adults and four children, and I feel sure that if this [license] application had been submitted to the Committee at the commencement of the project permission would not have been granted in view of the size of the family. I shall be grateful, in future, if any members of your staff desire to reside in a caravan on sites connected with building projects, if you would inform me so that an application may be submitted to the Public Health Committee in order that license may be granted'; 23 September 1959
Reply 'Mr Woodman assures me he made formal application to the Borough when he first took his caravan up to Caves Lane'
Small extract from Ordnance Survey map as in B5/28 etc., above, showing allotment plots to the South of the school site; gives plots with areas for: purchase completed; District Valuer negotiating, terms agreed for some; Owners unwillling to sell; and investigation as to ownership, not completed; total area 13.221 acres; stamped 'approved' 15 and 25 September 1959
Similar map showing revised boundary recommended by Sites and Buildings Committee on 15.9.59 and Education Committee 25.9.59
Similar map showing area to South of Polhill Avenue; school, top left (3 acres); aged persons home, directly East (1 acre); Playing field to South (10 acres) [still showing plot numbers]; with area of 2.52 acres further South, abutting housing; January 1961
Memo 'the conveyance from Kentford Ltd of an area of approximately 10 acres which formed the subject of the Compulsory Purchase Order, 1954, was completed on 17th January 1961'
District Valuers report 'A parcel of land situate to the East of Balmoral Avenue, Bedford, 9.880 acres or thereabouts' amount of compensation £6,000; 13 February 1961
Letter from Town Clerk regarding matters to be raised at Sites and Buildings Sub-Committe meeting includes inter alia 'The [General Purposes] Sub-Committee have considered the boundaries of this site in relation to the development which is planned for Caves Lane. They considered that it would be advantageous to make some adjustment to the boundaries by allowing a strip of land, at present forming part of the school site and adjoining Caves Lane, to be used for housing development. This would off-set roadmaking charges which will otherwise fall on the Local Education Authority. To make up this loss of acreage, the southern boundary of the school site should be extended southwards to take in more of the area at present used for allotments. This land would of course be acquired before any part of the existing site is given up'; 23 February 1961
Letter to Mrs Pickin [from County Architect] again asking her to reconsider selling her plot of land (Plot No 11) 'You will no doubt be aware that the majority of the owners of the adjacent plots of ground have already sold their plots to the County Council. As I should like to negotiate for the completion of the purchase of the few outstanding plots as quickly as possible, I should be most grateful if you would consider re-opening discussions with the District Valuer for the sale of your land'; 8 March 1961
Another map [as previous] showing allotment plots with table giving: Parcel Number, Owner, Area, and Present Position; 4 owners owning 10 plots between them [including Mrs Pickin] are marked as 'will not sell'; c. April 1961
Letter with accompanying map [scale 1/1250] from F W Dawkes, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, regarding changes to the School Site. An area to the South East is now required for housing and suggests that a further area of allotment land to the South would need to be acquired; This could increase the school site from the original 13.75 acres to approximately 15 acres. [This would require further negotiations with plot owners]; 19 April 1961
Letter from Robinson & Hall, Chartered Surveyors, Land Agents, Auctioneers and Valuers, mentions that their clients [unnamed] own land on the Caves Lane and Polhill allotments site, with a view to residential development and do not want to lose a 4 1/2 acre section to the school site; suggests alternative sites; 1 March 1962
Letter from J F Robinson [Robinson & Hall] with list of allotment holders West of Caves Lane, to South of those plots already sold/under negotiation; plots 6 and 13 owned by Bedfordshire County Council; and small map with plot numbers and location; 9 April 1962
Letter to owners of 1-11 [odd] Devon Road regarding land backing on to their houses (further West than allotment plots above) and enquiring if they would be prepared to enter negotiations for sale; 26 February 1963
List of allotment holders and map; original parcel of plots still have some unwilling to sell - 3 owners, 7 plots; gives list of owners of second parcel of plots proposed to be acquired - 10 owners, 11 plots; 20 June 1963
Letter from Clevely and Bass, Chartered Quantity Surveyors, 47 Gordon Square, London WC1, regarding claim from Robert Marriott Limited due to the delay in the erection and re-siting of the Caretaker's bungalow; Robert Marriott Limited say the bungalow was finished 10 March 1960, but they estimate it was completed 27 February; suggests 'a fair and reasonable settlement of the whole of Messrs Marriott's claim would be £250'; 13 January 1964
Memo from A T Lawes stating that the two main access roads across the allotment site are still owned by Mr Cave... 'The land is of course contained in the total area which we have told the Borough we already own'; Mr Cave telephoned after noticing the Borough had started to fence off the land; 20 January 1964
Letter from County Architect with accompanying map calculates the pathways amount to 11,368 sq ft; 4 May 1964
Further map and letter; area previously designated for Old People's Home seems to be where the Caretaker's bungalow has been built; area to East of second parcel of allotments is now scheduled for this building;
shows land already purchased, footpaths in first parcel of allotments which are being purchased, additional allotment land which is to be acquired for Education purposes (most of second parcel of allotments), footpaths on second parcel of allotments which will have to be purchased separately, and area to East of second parcel of allotments of approximately 1 acre for Old People's Home; 18 June 1964
Letter from E C Walker, Borough Education Officer, concerned about further delays; 'I wonder whether the business of acquiring the footpaths... are going to be the cause of delay... The Borough Engineer made a start on the development work, but stopped further levelling at the request of Robinson & Hall... I am now concerned that time is slipping away, and if work is not resumed soon the proposed grass seeding will not take place in September, and thereby another year will have been lost'; 17 June 1964
Letter from Borough Education Officer concerned about using 1 acre of the site for an Old People's Home; assumes that the total area covered by the plan is of the order of 16 1/2 acres; concludes with 'The total educational requirement therefore from this site is of the order of not less than 16 acres, and it would seem to me to be most unwise at this stage to think in terms restricted to bare minimum requirements in a service which is facing increasing demands, not only on the schools but also on the youth service side'; 23 June 1964
Correspondence regarding second parcel of allotment plots; disputed ownership, rights of way etc., some plots thought to be in ownership of the Council were found to be owned privately; one letter from Borough Engineer and Surveyor, 5 September 1963, 'The General Purposes Sub-Committee of the Education Committee have agreed to enclose a further 3 1/2 acres of land immediately South of the present school playing field, the additional area having been acquired by your Council and cleared of allotment tenants [parcel one] ...There are still quite a number of allotment plots further to the south [second parcel] which you have been negotiating to acquire ...in view of the difficulty in pesuading some owners to sell it would probably be more convenient now to await confirmation of the approval of the Development Plan Review when pressure can be put on the owners, since the area will then be zoned for educational purposes.; September - October 1963
Letter regarding Robert Marriott Limited's claim for delays due to Architect's Instructions; deducts amounts for fuel and drying out as these were provided by the Council; allowable claim under clause 1, £450; total compensation calculated at £587..5s; 24 June 1964
District Valuers Report on footpaths on the allotment sites; 1,263 square yards (or thereabouts); owned by Mr A Cave, 2a Rosamond Road, Bedford; 26 June 1964
Robinson and Hall acting for the owner 'We do hope you will stress to the District Valuer the importance of reaching an early settlement. This matter has now been dragging on for four months, and we remind you again, you are in occupation of our client's land without authority' 25 June 1964
Valuation Office Report gives amount of compensation as £1,325; 14 October 1964
Memo from Chief Quantity Surveyor mentions claim from Robert Marriott regarding the bungalow and says they will offer £250 for this; total build cost £182,257..1s.11d; 'The excess expenditure is due largely to increased costs of labour and materials (£2,124) extra cost of foundations (£1,050) additional top coat of tarmacadam to playgrounds (£850) employment of G.K.N. as Consultants (£1,900) additional fittings (£500) additional costs due to resiting of bungalow (£250) additional playgrounds (£350) protection bars to windows (£500) external gas meter house (£200) hardcore filling to trenches and additional concrete surrounds due to bad ground (£350) claim for delays (£450)'; 21 January 1964
Footpaths purchased from Mr Cave 19 February 1965
Letter from Harry Ball & Company stating their client, Mr J H Ball, owns a plot in the South East corner (approximately 2,487 square yards), and would we willing to negotiate; 14 July 1965; further letter gives his address as 32 Foster Street, Bedford, and that he jointly owns the land with his sister-in-law [Mrs D Ball]; 20 July 1965; 'Our clients wish to apply for a Certificate of appropriate alternative Development under Section 17 of the Land Compensation Act 1961 under which Act, the purchase will, we assume, be negotiated. As required by sub-Section 3 our Clients consider that development appropriate to the land in question is residential and for three units (one detached and two semi-detached); 23 December 1965; Valuation Office Report gives valuation/compensation of £2,500 plus Surveyor's fees of 51 Guineas; Acquiring Authority to pay Vendor's proper legal costs; 31 August 1966; purchase completed 12 December 1966
2 Letters from Alan Cooke A.R.I.B.A., Chartered Architect, regarding another plot directly to the North of the above, owned by Mr F J Mills of St Alban, Cambridge Road, Harrowden 'I understand that the size of the property is approximately 30 feet adjacent to the access and 33 feet at the rear and some 215 feet in length. This is an area of 0.14 acres approximately, and my client is prepared to part with a freehold of this land for £1,500'; mid-August 1966; Valuation Office Report gives valuation/compensation of £1,000 plus Surveyor's fees of 36 Guineas; Acquiring Authority to pay Vendor's proper legal costs; 27 February 1967; purchase completed 26 May 1967
District Valuer and Valuation Officer notes 'I ...would draw your attention to the Land Commission Act 1967, 9th Schedule, paragraph 1, which provides that if Notice to Treat has not been served or a contract entered into before 6 April 1967, the vendor might become liable for the payment of betterment levy. Under these circumstances your Council may wish to take such steps as are open to them with a view to avoiding criticism by the vendor that he has suffered financial loss as a result of your Council's desire to buy his land. Where appropriate a Notice to Treat can be served, but where compulsory powers have not been exercised a Memorandum of Agreement as though compulsory powers have been exercised and Notice to Treat served, could be entered into with the vendor, if time does not permit a normal contract to be exchanged'; 27 February 1967
2 letters from Town Clerk, Bedford; one gives list of items to be included in the Minor Works Programme for 1968/69; 3 November 1967
another regarding the allotment plots 'considerable broken glass has been found in ground intended for a further extension to the Newnham Avenue playing fields. Similar difficulties had previously been experienced with another area and the problem was then resolved by turfing. Turfing the further extension would cost approximately £2,150 and the Committee consider that it is not possible, in view of the amount of glass present in the soil, for the problem to be resolved in any other way. Because of the exceptional nature of this expenditure, the Committee feel that the item should be included in the current Minor Works Programme, and I should be grateful if you would please arrange for this request to be considered. The Committee also asked me to convey that they are doubtful whether the acquisition of further land on this site would be justifiable, if the land contains a similar high proportion of broken glass'; 6 November 1967
Letter from Deputy Director of Technical Services regarding a plot of land owned by Mrs E W Fisher, 7 Shaftesbury Avenue, Bedford; 'Mrs Fisher has recently approached the Corporation enquiring whether or not they wish to acquire the land and I have informed her that whilst the Corporation are not interested in purchasing it, I understand that your Council may wish to do so with a view to extending the adjoining school site. It is understood that the land is at present let to two allotment tenants'; 2 October 1968
Reply from County Architect 'Your enquiry regarding the two allotments which you own has been passed to me by the Estates Department of the Borough. The County Council certainly wished to purchase these a few years ago and I think that they may still be required'; 16 October 1968
Further letter saying 'it would appear that the County Council do wish to purchase the allotments', and asking her to confirm the area she owns; 10 December 1968
Further letter from County Architect; 'At the present time a new Draft Development Plan is being drawn up covering all schools in the County. Because of this it is not possible at the present time to say whether Newnham School will require any further land'; 30 January 1969
Letter regarding site for new Children's Home in the North of Bedford; 'The enclosed plan [not enclosed] shows edged red, land owned by the County Council which was purchased to bring Newnham CSM School up to the required standard. Since the School has now changed its status the land coloured pink could be declared surplus to educational requirements and may be considered for a site for a Children's Home. Before consulting Planning for their views it would be necessary to ascertain what rights we enjoy and what restrictions there are on the land. The site is difficult to define from the Conveyance plans but it would appear to be as shown. It would also appear that we have a right of way over the land hatched brown and that neighbouring owners have rights over the tracks hatched red. The present metalled carriageway of Cave's Lane terminates at point A and there would appear to be problems of access to our site. We own some of the nursery land to the North East of Cave's Lane but there does not appear to be any right of way to get to this land; 9 February 1970