Leeds Mercury (28/Oct/1919) - The Huddersfield Sale

The following is a transcription of a historic newspaper article and may contain occasional errors. If the article was published prior to 1 June 1957, then the text is likely in the Public Domain.

THE HUDDERSFIELD SALE.

Parliament and Corporation's Power to Purchase.

The purchase of the Ramsden estate at Huddersfield, announced in the "Leeds Mercury" last Friday, continues to form an interesting topic in that town. Many conjectures as to the future and final ownership of the great estate are offered. The purchase was effected, as already stated, by Mr. S. W. Copley, of London — a native of Huddersfield, familiarly designated by those who remember him as "Sam Copley."

As to the future of the estate, Ald. Woodhead, chairman of the Corporation Finance Committee, yesterday stated that he had no doubt Mr. Copley would transfer the land to the Corporation if Parliament gave its sanction to the purchase. He was not at liberty to say on what terms.

What he was concerned about was that Parliament, under proper safeguards against abuse and profiteering out of the dealings between the Corporation and future tenants, should grant the power to acquire the land by agreement, if possible, and, if necessary, by compulsion.

On Friday last, having had information that the agreement to purchase had that afternoon been reached London, he induced the Parliamentary Committee of the Corporation to put a clause into the forthcoming bill giving power to purchase land within the borough with all the rights attached to it.

He had no doubt the Council would agree to the insertion of a clause which would be of such great benefit to the rate-payers. He would be glad if this were allowed to pass, but would not be surprised if the reply was that the question was a notional one, and could not be dealt with in a private bill of a single municipality.