by Ray George
My mysterious article in the last Newsletter was set in train by realizing that toob are likely to dig up the footway in Ethelburt Avenue to install full fibre broadband. In 1950, everyone expected that Ethelburt Avenue would be made up when economic conditions permitted. A letter from the Council’s Borough Engineer on 6th March 1950 said “At the present rate at which approvals are received from the Ministry of Health to make up private streets, it will be some considerable time before any proposals can be considered for Ethelburt Avenue owing to its low priority in the order of streets to be made up”.
Because of the lamentable state of the road, the Bassett Green Leaseholders and Tenants Association decided something had to be done. They planned to start by laying the footpath on the side adjoining the even numbers. They did not want the work and money to be wasted when the Council got round to making up the road. So a specification was agreed with the Borough Engineer and the Council would supervise the work. In the event, there was insufficient support and twenty owners even signed a letter to say “We the undersigned owners of the even numbered houses in Ethelburt Avenue definitely refuse to have anything to do with the proposed pavement or make any payments whatsoever”.