At the last meeting of the Southam Rural District Council, Mr H. Pickering reported what had been done in the matter of the drainage at Northend. A scheme he stated had been arrived at by the committee by which the effluent was to be carried on to Mr E. P. Smith’s farm instead of on to Mr Nightingale’s land, the latter owner asking the prohibitive rental of £10 a year. Mr Smith, who was a member of the committee had agreed to the proposed scheme, but he had now received a letter from Mr Hutton (Lord Willoughby de Broke’s agent) stating that after careful consideration he felt unable to advise his Lordship to accept the committee’s recommendation, adding also that the tenant (Mr Smith) was not willing for the proposal to be carried out. He could not understand Mr Smith’s action in the matter, as he had been a member of the committee, and had already agreed with the committee’s proposal. The Northend Drainage Committee was subsequently reappointed as follows, the Council realising that something ought to be done to remedy the existing state of affairs: Rev. A. H. Watson, Messrs E. P. Smith, E. Wall and A. E. Knott. Dr Tangye added that he thought the committee should meet soon and very seriously consider the matter. In reply to a communication, he stated that there would be no danger to Mr Smith’s farmhouse if the committee’s recommendation was carried out. The recommendation was the unanimous decision of the committee, of which Mr Smith was himself a member.

Banbury Guardian, April 1915