Wed 19 Nov 1924
Circular letter sent out re Stroudwater Navigation Company taking over Thames & Severn Canal recorded in minutes.
Gloucestershire County Council presented Memorial to Minister of Transport for Order authorising abandonment of Thames & Severn Canal. Public Notice. Objections to be sent within month of 7 November 1924. Meeting to formulate objections to Memorial, 27 November.
Ship Inn premises offered to Messrs Lee Bros Ltd for £500, subject to reservation of right of way.
Mr Shipway’s estimate for oak scantling for Westfield Lock, 5s 9d per ft cube accepted.
Stroud Gas Co offered £15 towards repair of canal bank at Bond’s Mill and to pay for delivery of clay.
Now boundary of new work at Pike Bridge can be seen, no real room for erecting stable or shed in Whiting’s yard at Eastington without curtailing storage space. Cash compensation to be sought.
Necessary to renew defective floor of bridge over canal at Saul.
George Cook’s bonus, £3 for three months ending 16 September.
Committee Meeting held at Wallbridge on Wednresday the 19^th day of November 1924 @ 3 o'clock pm
Present: Jack Margetson, W R Bloxam, Henry R Hooper, F A Little.
Dredging at Lodgemore
Mr Bloxam reported no reply from Messrs Cooke & Son.
Thames & Severn Canal
As directed at the last Meeting a circular letter has been sent out as below:-
Stroudwater Navigation Company
Wallbridge, Stroud, Glos.
21^st October 1924
Dear Sir,
You are no doubt aware that the Gloucestershire County Council has approached this Navigation with a view to the latter taking over the Thames & Severn Canal from March next at a nominal rent; the Navigation to undertake all expenses of maintenance. As the loss on maintenance in the past has considerably exceeded £1200 per annum, this Company has of course been unable to accept such a suggestion, and the County Council has intimated that the only alternative is for it to apply to the Ministry of Transport for leave to close the Thames and Severn Canal, and it is believed that such application has already been made. It should be mentioned that the Stroudwater Navigation has paid no dividend for some time, and there is no prospect of its doing so in the future.
The effect of closing the Thames & Severn Canal is bound to be very serious, not only to the Traders and others served by _that_ Canal, but also to all those who make use in any way of _this_ canal.
This Canal is dependent on the Thames & Severn for an adequate supply of water to its upper reaches, and this fact, added to the serious loss of through traffic which will result if the County Council's application is successful, must inevitably result in its having to close in the course of two or three years.
Application has been made to the Ministry of Transport to hold a full enquiry into the matter before any step is taken to close the Themes and Severn Canal, and the majority of Public Bodies interested are using their influence in this direction.
Should this Navigation take over the management of the Thames and Severn Canal. it will of course have to be treated as a separate concern, and the full cost of maintenance provided for.
It is felt that in order to secure the active support of the Ministry of Transport, evidence will have to be tendered at any enquiry that is held not only of a general desire to maintain the Canal, but also of a willingness on the part of the various parties interested to contribute financially in order to ensure that object.
Efforts are therefor being made to obtain such offers of help from Public Bodies and Traders directly interested in the Thames & Severn, and it is obviously of great importance that this should be supplemented by similar offers from the Traders and Boat Owners using this Canal.
This Navigation is prepared to continue for the next two years the financial support it has given in the past. Any sums, however small, from any other source promised for that period, would be of real assistance in attaining the object desired.
This Committee asks you therefore to consider very carefully the effect upon your business of the closing of the Stroudwater Navigation, and ventures to hope that you will see your way to promise some financial support for two years commencing March, 1925.
Yours faithfully,
Jack Margetson
Chairman.
It was reported that the Gloucestershire County Council had presented a Memorial to the Minister of Transport for an Order authorizing the abandonment of the Thames and Severn Canal, and had given Public Notice that any objections to the proposed abandonment of the canal should be sent within one month of the 7^th November 1924 to the Assistant Secretary Secretarial Department, Ministry of Transport, Whitehall Gardens, SW1, and that copies of such objections should at the same time be sent to the Clerk of the Gloucestershire County Council.
The Committee decided to invite the representatives of the various Bodies interested to a Meeting in order to formulate objections to this Memorial, and the Clerk was directed to call such Meeting for Thursday the 27^th November at the Board Room at the Guardians Office, John Street, Stroud @ 3 o'clock pm.
It was Resolved: That this Navigation protests most strongly against the closing of the Thames and Severn Canal, as urged in the County Councils Memorial to the Ministry of Transport: and "that the Ministry be asked not to agree to such closing, without holding a full enquiry into the facts, and that the Navigations objections to the Memorial, as set out below, be embodied in whatever form of protest is eventually decided upon, after consultation with the Public Bodies, Traders, etc, likely to be adversely effected should the memorial be successful,
Stroudwater Navigation Cos objections to the County Council plea to abandon the Thames & Severn Canal.
1 It will ultimately lead to the abandonment of the Navigation.
2 It will cause serious dislocation in most instances and lead to the actual closing of some of the factories alongside the Canal.
3 It will naturally, for this reason (N^o 2), lead to a serious reduction in employment.
4 It will seriously affect many business concerns, either wholly, or largely dependent upon the Canal, for water.
5 It will destroy a potential means of Transport in any future scheme, either local or national.
6 It will five Railway Companies a free hand.
7 It will be detrimental to the development of new factories, or industries, in the neighbourhood of the Canal.
Ship Inn Premises
A letter was put in from Messrs Bretherton & Sons and after discussion it was decided to offer the premises to Messrs Lee Bros Ltd for £500..-, the offer to be subject to reservation of the right of way to the premises for settlement by the Committee.
Premises at Stonehouse Wharf
Mrs Penn was reported as in arrear with the rent, £8..2..6, due last 29^th September. The Solicitors were asked to write her.
Westfield Lock, Eastington
Mr Shipway's estimate for Oak scantling @ 5^s/9^d per ft cube amounting to £19..5..0 was accepted.
Canal Bank at Bond's Mill
It was reported that the Stroud Gas C^o had offered £15 towards the repair of the Bank, and would pay for the delivery of clay.
Pike Bridge and Wharf at Eastington
It was reported that the County had not encroached.
With regard to the Stable at Whiting's Yard the Clerk was instructed to write to the County Surveyor that now the boundary of the new work can be seen there is no real reason for erecting either a Stable or Shed without curtailing the storage space, and to suggest that a cash compensation would meet the case.
Lodgemore Bridge and Gas House Bridge
Discussion postponed.
Pike Lock
It was reported that the leak at Pike Lock has been stopped.
Saul Bridge
It was reported since the last Meeting it had been found necessary to renew the defective floor of the bridge over the Canal at Saul.
Paddles at Lodgemore
It was reported that certain repairs had been carried out at a cost of £1..16..11.
Lock-house at Eastington
The floor of the front room has been repaired at a cost of £1..0..3 (for materials).
Wallbridge Wharf
Mr Hopson's tenancy postponed till next Meeting.
George Cooks bonus, £3..- for three months ending Sept 15
Payment passed by Committee.
Tonnage
The Tonnage for the period 1^st July to 18^th November 1924 was £338..5..6 comparing with £438..18..9 last year and £361..5..7 in 1914.
Tonnage
The Tonnage for the month of October 1924 was £75..19..3 comparing with £73..14..8 last year and £78..7..7 in 1914.
Balance at the Bank
The Balance at Lloyds Bank Ltd, Stroud was £151..1..7 against £31.11..2 last year and £351..2..11 in 1914.
Cheques drawn: £ s d
Committee fees: 1..12..6
The Postmaster General Office Expenses: £3..4..9
The Ryeford Saw Mills C^o Canal Maintenance: 37..9..4
S J Vinson & C^o Ltd Canal Maintenance: 1..12..0
R J Verney Canal Maintenance: 2..0..10
A copy of the letter sent to Mr Snape by the Office of the Clerk to the County Council for Gloucestershire on 14th November 1924 has been inserted in the Minute Book here. It reads:
Dear Sir,
Thames and Severn Canal - Abandonment.
I am in receipt of your letter of the 13th instant and have pleasure in sending you a copy of the Memorial which has been presented to the Ministry of Transport by the County Council.
Yours truly
E Gardom
Clerk of the Council
