| Description | Minute volumes indexed. The minutes are printed and signed by the committee chairman. The minutes are in uniformly titled minute volumes. The minutes include reports of the Estate Agent relating to land let by the Council, including rentals, rental arrears, notices to quit and Green Belt Land and reports of the various sub-committees. There is a good deal of information relating to tenancies and property ownership (including assistance granted to some tenants facing hardship and compensation to those whose property was affected by various development schemes; tenancy applications; information relating to the granting of licenses for landowners and farmers to shoot game (i.e. pheasants) or eliminate other 'pests' (i.e. weeds, rabbits or foxes); reports of the City Analyst relating to the analysis of samples of chemicals used on farms such as artificial fertilisers; information relating to grazing rights; some details relating to agricultural shows and Young Farmers' Clubs set up during the 1940s to help give townspeople a better understanding of British agriculture, with particular regard to future agricultural production; information relating to the building and maintenance of infrastructure on land rented by the department (i.e. estate roads); information relating to buildings on land rented from the Council; some information relating to departmental staff; accounts and statements of income and expenditure; and related correspondence and papers. The papers often include descriptions of property held by tenants, with tenant names, amount land was worth and acreage. The minutes covering the Second World War (1939 - 1945) include information about the impact of the war on the department, its staff and the farms which came under the care of the committee (see BCC/1/BC/1/1/8 - 10). The minutes of 20 April 1944 also include a detailed report on the difficulties in managing the Canwell Hall Estate, at that time under the care of the committee, with particular emphasis on requirements and cost of machinery (see minute 6254 in BCC/1/BX/1/1/9). |