Whippingham

Possible amalgamation

Whippingham and North Arreton Parishes June 1906

A public inquiry was held was held by the General Purposes Committee of the Isle of Wight Council, at the Rural District Council offices in Newport on Monday 16th into the proposal by the Rural District that the parishes of Whippingham and North Arreton should be combined.

The inquiry opened with a question from Mr Gunner who was said he was representing the interests of Sir Charles Sealy’s in connection with the payment of royalties for water supplies made by the Corporation of Newport to North Arreton, provided these remained in force he Sir Charles had no objection to the proposed merger. Mr Stratton, Clerk to the District Council said if the merger took place an order would be made to protect those interests, Mr Gunner withdrew from the inquiry.

Mr Stratton then explained the reason behind the Rural Districts proposals for amalgamation of the two parishes; he said it was to obviate difficulties which were on sanitary grounds, owing to the parishes interlocking so much and the difficulty in apportioning the cost of any work done. The plan on display showed how the boundaries were very much interlinked. In laying a water main for the parish of North Arreton it had been necessary to pass through the parish of Whippingham both along Fairlee Road then up Staplers, houses in the parish of Whippingham were supplied from the same pipe enroute. After reaching both Station and Palmers Road, houses on one side were in Whippingham and the other side in North Arreton. Further along the water main supplied all the houses in Chapel Corner and Woodside these house being in the parish of Whippingham, as a result of this, difficulty had arisen as to who’s responsibility the mains were, Rural District or Newport Corporation and the payment of water royalty to Sir Charles Sealy. The same problem arose in construction of sewers and the apportionment of charges.

Mr Stratton went on to say that Rural District were confident that by amalgamating the two council the problems could be eliminated without any cost to either parish. The local Government Board had declined to sanction a special drainage area and suggested an order for amalgamation was the way to proceed.

The population of Whippingham was 856 and North Arreton 844, outstanding loans to these parishes was £405 and £580 respectively, therefore both parishes were evenly matched and the combined population would not be as large as Carisbrooke. Expanding on the routing of pipes Mr Stratton said there were houses in Whippingham that should be connected to the sewer, the sewer passed by the front door, but the owners declined to pay the £3-£4 a year towards being connected to the sewer when the money went another parish. He also when on to say there was a pressing need for the laying of a sewage pipe in the Staplers Hill district which would be partly in Whippingham but most of the houses that would benefit were in North Arreton and the two parishes would never agreed on apportionment.

Mr Cullin, surveyor and inspector for North-East Medina explained the plans as to the route of the water main and also agreed with Mr Stratton as to the difficulty of providing each parish with services without entering the other parishes boundaries, he did not think it was practical to consider separate services.

Much detailed discussion took place concerning the amalgamation and the various merits for each parish, the Rev. Nutter of St Paul’s Vicarage; Barton said he spent £100 to drain his house and a £1 every three weeks to clean his cesspit which was near the road and a source of complaint.

Mr Roach said he had not heard of anyone opposing the scheme, however if the Fairlee sewer was drained into the Medina it would come into his millpond first and this was unfair unless it was purified first, he was given assurance that the Board of Trade would insist the this was done.

The meeting was advised that if the amalgamation took place the number of parish councillors would be reduced from two lots of 6 to a total of 8, as allowed by law. At the close of the meeting Mr Whitbread on behalf of the chairman of North Arreton Parish Council said they were in favour of the amalgamation, the chairman then declared the inquiry closed.

Editors: The amalgamation did take place by the end of the year.

Source: IWCP 21 July 1906