Folios 211-213, 215-216. Letter from R M Cooper, Solicitor of 4 Westminster Chambers,...

Folios 211-213, 215-216. Letter from R M Cooper, Solicitor of 4 Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, SW, to the Local Government Board headed East Dereham Gas provisional order. They confirm that they have communicated with their clients the gas company concerning the draft provisional order to be made by the Local Government Board and are instructed to request that the amendments shown in the preamble and in article 6 of the enclosed copy order are made. At present as it stands the gas company are advised that it might be competent to the Local Board without completing the purchase of the gas undertaking to establish new works upon the lands described in the second schedule of the order which their clients understand to be quite contrary to the understanding arrived at upon the local inquiry. They request to be unformed that the amendments will be made. They state however that the gas company has not strictly complied with the provisions of section 162 of the Public Health Act 1875, 38 & 39 Vic c 55 with reference to the meetings and special resolution authorising the sale of the undertaking but adds that the gas company will at once proceed to hold the two statutory meetings and to pass the resolution in due form of which proper evidence will be furnished to the Board immediately the confirmation meeting has been held. He asks if this will meet their requirements.
Copy of the draft provisional order with handwritten and typed amendments in the margins and sentences deleted. The document states that the East Dereham Local Board (subject to the sanction of the Local Government Board) agreed to buy, and the East Dereham Gaslight and Coke Company (Limited) have subject to a special resolution of the members being passed in manner provided by the Companies Act 1862, 25 & 26 Vic c 89, agreed to sell and transfer to the Local Board the lands, hereditaments and premises described in the annexed first schedule and the gas undertaking of the Company including all the existing gasworks, mains service pipes, meters, lamp posts, brackets, lanterns and the business of the Company but subject to all rights and easements (if any) affecting the said premises or any part thereof. Also as the Local Board are under the Public Health Act 1875, 38 & 39 Vic c 55, empowered to supply gas for the whole of their district they have applied for a provisional order authorising them to maintain and continue when the same shall be acquired by them, the gas undertaking of the Company, to construct other gasworks, to manufacture and supply gas and to borrow money for those purposes. The extensive document contains some 31 clauses. Included are three schedules:
First schedule stating all those lands, buildings and works called the East Dereham Gasworks, situate in the parish of East Dereham belonging or reputed to belong to the East Dereham Gaslight and Coke Company (Limited) containing 1650 square yards, more or less and bounded on the north, south and east sides by land and hereditaments belonging or reputed to belong to Elizabeth Andrews, and on the west side by the public highway leading from the parish of East Dereham to the parish of North Elmham and called the Holt Road. Second schedule: all that piece of land situate in the parish of East Dereham containing 18150 square yards, more or less, and known as Shortlands which piece of land belongs or is reputed to belong to, or to be vested in the Reverend George Shelford Bidwell, Blanche Bidwell, Thomas Shelford Bidwell, Shelford Bidwell and John Ray and is bounded on the north, east and west sides by a private road reputed to belong to the same persons and on the south side by the railway line and property of the Great Eastern Railway Company. Third schedule: all that piece of land in East Dereham containing 2692 square yards, more or less, adjoining the piece of land described in the second schedule and being the said private road and all the piece of land in East Dereham containing 333 square yards belonging or reputed to belong to the Great Eastern Railway Company and adjoining on the west side of the said last mentioned piece of land and abutting on the public highway leading from East Dereham to the parish of Shipdham.
Annotated: 'Mr Rotton. I do not see any objection to these alterations being made and in view of the failures of the company to pass the necessary special resolution perhaps the first recital might be altered as in pencil. A copy of the order must be sent off tonight for publication but I should propose to send simply a completed draft and to tell the clerk to leave it set up in type by the newspaper and he can than have the proof advert examined with a copy of the order which can be sent so as to reach him by Thursday morning', 21 April 1885.
Annotated: 'Mr Dalton. Directions for the issue of the order are required.? Issue Provisional Order', 21 April 1885.
Annotated: 'W Boyce would like to have this case back this afternoon', 21 April 1885.
Annotated: Order dated 22 and dispatched on 23 and 24 days of April', 22 April 1885.
[Page 21 of provisional order is on images 412-417 folio 198].

Paper Number: 41004/1885.

Poor Law Union Number: 302.

Counties: Norfolk.