Wed 19 Feb 1908
Mr S Hopson, builder and contractor, occupier of upper floor of Wallbridge Warehouse to take lower floor also. Offer of tenancy of 5 or 6 years at £25 full eventual rent. He expected to have building material by canal and so become a customer.
Letter from local manager of National Telephone Co. Three stays to poles at Lodgemore placed there without authority.
Serious increased wear of Gas Works Bridge caused by hauling of coal obtained by Gas Co by railway. Rent fixed by Gas Company’s Act 1864. £5 per mile of pipe. Reference to Minutes, 1865, 1881, 1896. Pipe mileage extended from 4 to about 5½ miles. Full rent now £27 10s. £20 per annum fixed for which Clerk would give full receipt. Gas Co now obtaining substantial part of coal supply by rail, from pits not served by water. Contribution to canal tolls much reduced. Wear of bridge by increased traffic greater. Company must require statutory rent of £27 10s.
[1908 February] Committee Meeting held at Wallbridge on Wednesday the 19^th day of February 1908 @ 4.15pm
Present: Mr C H Hooper Chairman, Mr P J Evans, Sir W H Marling Bart, Mr A J M Ball, Mr F A Little, Mr W Davies, Mr E P Little
(Mr F S Whittingham, Solicitor, did not attend).
[Wallbridge Warhouse Mr Ashmead & Mr Hopson] In reference to the Wallbridge Warehouse, Mr Snape reported a conversation with Mr S Hopson, 'Builder and Contractor' (occupier of the upper floor @ £14) as to taking the lower floor also, which Mr Ashmead vacates Lady Day next. Mr Hopson had made an offer for the whole of £20..- per year, not at present seeing his way to more, till his business may increase.
It was left to the Chairman to arrange with him, if possible, a tenancy for a _definite period_, say 5 or 7 years with a full eventual Rent of say £25..-, and to meet his views, by allowance as far as his offer, at the beginning.
It was stated that Mr Hopson expected to have Building material by Canal, and so become a customer.
[Nat Tel C^o stays at Lodgemore] The Clerk presented a letter from the Local Manager of the National Telephone C^o, explaining the circumstances under which three stays to poles at Lodgemore had been placed there without authority.
[Gas Works Bridge & Mains] The Clerk reported serious increased wear of the Gas Works Bridge largely by reason of the hauling thither of the Coal now obtained by the Gas Company by Railway. A discussion took place as to the Rent received from that Company for their pipes laid under the towpath of the Canal, which is fixed by the Gas Company's Act, 1864, at _£5..- pre mile of pipe_.
The Chairman referred to the minutes (1865, 1881, 1896) recording the acceptance (without prejudice) from time to time of annual payments of less amount and specially to that of July 21, 1896, when, upon a proposal to charge the full authorized Rent the Secretary of the Gas Company attended here, furnished with particulars as to the charge and it was then recognised that this Company's Statutory claim to £5..- per mile of pipe, had bee consistently maintained, that the pipe mileage had been extended from 4 to about 5½ miles without extra payment, and the full rent now payable would be about £27..10..0.
Twenty pounds p annum (instead of the £4 p annum paid for many years) was then fixed as the sum for which the Clerk was now authorized to give a full receipt "_without prejudice to the right of the Canal Company, at any time hereafter to require payment of the full Rent, under the provision of the Stroud Gas Act 1864".
This sum (£20) has, from that time been accepted, but as the Gas Company now are obtaining a substantial part of their coal supply by Rail (from pits not served by water) their contribution to Canal tolls is much reduced, and the wear of the Bridge by the increased traffic over it, greater.
It was felt that under these circumstance, the Board of the Gas Company would be quite prepared to receive a communication on the subject of the abated Rent, and it was proposed from the Chair, and seconded by Mr Morton Ball, and unanimously agreed, to inform the Stroud Gas Company that under all existing conditions, this Company regrets it is no longer able to accept the reduced amound (£20) as Rent for the pipes laid under the towpath, as was arranged in 1896, and must require the statutory rent of _Five pounds per mile of Pipe_ which at that time was calculated to be £27..10..0, as appears on their Minutes.
The Clerk to communicate this to their Secretary.
