Sewerage

Christmas Eve at the Front

An interesting letter has just been received by Mrs Packer, of Broadclyst, from her husband, Corpl Packer of A Company, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, who is serving with the Expeditionary Force in Northern France. In the course of a letter he describes a remarkable incident which occurred on Christmas Eve between the British and German trenches.

Only two tenders were received by Bideford Rural Council for Abbotsham sewerage scheme, and said the Surveyor, Mr L J Dunn, they were ‘way up’ on the estimate drawn up about 15 months ago.

The Council last week did not accept either. They instructed the Surveyor to go into them and report to the Public Health Committee.
The tenders were: E Thomas and Co, Plymouth, £36, 959; Unwin and Son, Tiverton, £29,040 7s. 3d.
Answering Mr Jack Prince, the Surveyor said that the original estimate had been £22,000. Since then there had been such things as the selective employment tax, but even so the tenders were very high.
Gazette article dated 17 March 1967

Victory for sewage into sea opponents 20th June 1969

Victory for sewage into sea opponents 20th June 1969 Sewerage

The "Gazette" understands that the drainage scheme that will probably be adopted by Bideford Town and Northam Urban Councils, prompted by Devon County Council, will involve a partial treatment works sited adjacent to Northam Burrows.

This is in spite of the fact that Devon River Authority and the County Planning Committee would prefer a sea outfall, which would cost £5,000 less a year to operate than a landbased scheme.

The councils are likely to be swayed by the fact that Major G Lomas, Cornborough, who owns Abbotsham Cliffs where a sea outfall would be constructed, is implacably opposed to the idea.

News that the sea outfall scheme had, as he phrased it, "gone for a burton" was given to the town council at their meeting on Tuesday by Cllr J W Needs. The town clerk, Mr L B Galliford, had said that any report at this stage would be premature. Cllr G Armstrong pointed out that the next meeting of the council was not until July.

Sewage into sea may mean trouble with fishermen 24.11.1967

Discharge of crude sewage into the sea, as is envisaged for the joint scheme of Bideford Town and Northam Urban Councils, may contravene the legally enforceable by-laws of the Devon Sea Fisheries Committee.

Letter sent by Mr W Badcock, chairman of Devon Sea Fisheries Committee, and others signed by various members of Bideford and Northam Councils who feel that insufficient consideration has been given to schemes other than that for sea disposal.

The accounts presented at the meeting showed that £5 had been contributed towards the fee of an independent consultant engaged after Major C N G Wilde had prepared a study on land-based plant.

Mr M Arnold Kershaw, says that if Major Wilde's study is to be presented as a firm alternative to the sea outfall scheme a number of statements made must be proved or amended.