STRETFORD AND DISTRICT GAS BOARD

Administration, finance, estate & property, technical, incident, personnel and retail records

• <corpname>Stretford Gas Company, 1854-1922</corpname>
• <corpname>Stretford District Gas Board, 1922-1949</corpname>

The Stretford Gas Co was formed in 1854. It was incorporated by Act of Parliament 1862 and its area of supply was Stretford, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Urmston, Davyhulme, Flixton, Sale and Timperley. The company never exercised its powers in Timperley and supply was provided by the Altrincham Gas Co. Manchester Corporation purchased the right to supply Chorlton-cum-Hardy in 1906. The Stretford works were situated on Thomas St and Longford St alongside the Bridgewater Canal. The works were expanded several times. In 1921 Manchester Corporation promoted an Act which authorised the purchase of Stretford Gas Co. This met with vigorous opposition from the surrounding local authorities and a proviso was therefore made that if two or more local councils formed a Joint Board to supply gas in the area, Manchester Corporation should sell the Stretford undertaking back to the Board at the same price. In 1922, the Stretford and District Gas Board Act was passed which established a Board made up of representatives from Stretford UDC, Sale UDC, Ashton-upon-Mersey UDC, Barton-upon-Irwell RDC and Bucklow RDC. Stretford undertaking was purchased back from Manchester Corporation after only nine months. The Act also established the area of supply to include parts of Ashton-upon-Mersey previously supplied by Altrincham Gas Company. The works on Thomas St were reconstructed in 1923 and additional land for works was purchased in 1937 immediately to the north west of the Thomas St site. This became the no.2 works. A holder site was also acquired at Dane Rd in Sale in 1935 and a large 4 lift spiral holder was built there. By 1947 the Stretford works were able to supplement the Altrincham gasworks via a separate 6" hp main. In 1949 the Stretford undertaking became part of the Manchester Group of the NWGB.