Wed 17 Dec 1924
Clerk to supply particulars of expense already incurred in dredging at Lodgemore.
Report of meeting of bodies interested in maintenance of Thames & Severn Canal. Objection to closing of Navigation to be forwarded to Ministry. Memorial prepared by Company’s solicitors. Signed by Chairman on behalf of Stroud Navigation and by Traders on Stroudwater Navigation and Thames & Severn Canal. Memorial sent to Ministry recorded in minutes.
Forfeiture of lease of Ship Inn premises. Premises not part of lease but let to client. Should form part of any sale. Right of forfeiture not waived by Company. Price £500 to include all premises formerly known as the “Ship Inn” viz house, stable, wash house, left over small piece of ground attached.
Piling of canal bank at Bond’s Mill completed. Gas Co about to commence laying new gas main.
£50 cash compensation accepted for stable taken down by County Council for road improvement at Pike Bridge.
Mr Hopson occupying more wharf room than set out in his agreement. Premises at Wallbridge. Rent £26 2s per annum. Clerk to see him.
[1924 Dec] Committee Meeting held at Wallbridge on Wednesday the 17^th day of December 1924 @ 3 o'clock pm
Present: F A Little, W R Bloxam, Henry R Hooper, R J C Little, S S Marling, Edward P Little, Gd Evans, Jack Margetson.
State of Canal at Lodgemore
Mr Bloxam stated that he had not heard from Messrs Cook & C^o. After discussion it was let to Mr Bloxam to again write them.
The Clerk was instructed to supply the Committee with particulars of the expense already incurred in dredging this portion of the Canal.
Thames & Severn Canal
The Chairman reported on the Meeting held of the various Bodies interested in the maintenance of the Thames & Severn Caanal.
At this Meeting it was agreed that an objection to the closing of the Navigation should be forwarded to the Ministry.
To carry this into effect a Memorial had bee prepared by the Companys Solicitors been signed by the Chairman on behalf of the Stroudwater Navigation and by Traders both on the Stroudwater Navigation and on the Thames and Severn Canal.
The Clerk had sent the Memorial to the Ministry and had received a formal reply.
A copy of the Memorial was read by the Chairman and confirmed by the Committee.
Memorial
Thames & Severn Canal Abandonment: To the Ministry of Transport, Objections of:-
a The Company of Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation
b The Millowners Association and other traders on the Thames & Severn Canal
c The Thrupp and Brimscombe Parish Council
d The Minchinhampton Parish Council
e The Chalford Parish Council
f Manufacturers traders and others using the Stroudwater Navigation
g The Stonehouse Parish Council
h The Fretherne with Saul Parish Council
to the Memorial of the Gloucestershire County Council pressing for an order for the abandonment of the Thames & Severn Canal.
Show:
1 The Stroudwater Navigation connects with the Thames & Severn Canal at Wallbridge in the Town of Stroud and with the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal at the Junction at Framilode and with the River Severn at Framilode thus forming a link by means of the River Severn and the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal with the coal producing districts of south Staffordshire and by means of the Gloucester & Berkeley Canal with the Forest of Dean and Welsh coalfields.
2 The Millowners Association consists of Manufacturers and traders carrying on business on teh Thames & Severn Canal between Stroud and the Bell Lock at Chalford.
3 The Parishes of Thrupp and Brimscombe, Minchinhampton and Chalford adjoin or are in the immediated neighbourhood of the Thames and Severn Canal and the Parish of Stonehouse adjoins the Stroudwater Navigation.
4 The Stroudwater Navigation has paid no dividend on its shared for some years past and there appears no prospect of its doing so in the near future and for this reason it is unable to take over the management of the Thames & Severn Canal with the consequent financial burden as suggested by the County Council.
5 The amount of through traffic on the Thames & Severn Canal has of late years diminished considerably but the Objectors are informed and believe that this is, to a great extent, due to the failure of the County Council to maintain the Thames & Severn Canal in an efficient condition as a waterway and also to its failure to make the use it might of the Canal for County purposes such as carriage of stone for repair of County roads and of coal coke and other commodities for the use of Schools under the County Education Authority.
6 The immediate effect of the abandonment of the Thames and Severn Canal will be felt by the factories on the Canal many of which are largely dependent on this Canal for the supply of water received therefrom. Some industries receive all their coal by water and there is evidence that the result of its abandonment would actually stop more than one concern.
7 A considerable portion of the tolls earned by the Stroudwater Navigation is in respect of through traffic to the Thames & Severn Canal and the upper portion of the former canal derives a considerable part of its water supply from the latter.
8 The loss of the tolls on through traffic caused by the abandonment of the Thames & Severn Canal quite apart from the loss of water must inevitably lead to the abandonment of the Stroudwater Navigation at no distant date the effect of which could not fail to cause the gravest injury to the business life of this industrial centre.
9 The Stroud District is largely industrial containing a large number of important manufacturing and other commercial concerns many of them with a worldwide distribution the majority of which are situate near to the Thames & Severn Canal and the Stroudwater Navigation Canals. These industries are largely dependent on the waterways some for supply of coal and an even greater number for their water supply.
10 The abandonment of the Stroudwater Navigation must cause serious dislocation in all these concerns. It is asserted that the actual removal of some factories would result and hardship and expense would undoubtedly be entailed on others and the various carriers by water would be ruined.
11 The employment question in this district as in many others is of grave concern and the facts referred to above must of necessity seriously add to what is an urgent national problem.
12 The abandonment of the Thames & Severn Canal and the consequent closing of the Stroudwater Navigation would destroy a valuable potential means of transport in any future scheme either local or national.
13 It is an established fact that the existence in any district of an alternative means of transport such as a Canal is an important factor in keeping down the Railway rates in that area and the withdrawal of such factor would inevitably result in an increase in railway rates all over an important industrial district not only affecting the actual industrial concerns but also raising the price of coal to all consumers particularly to the poorer classes who are compelled to purchase coal in small quantities.
14 The existence of a waterway on an industrial area is undoubtedly an invaluable asset and the development of new factories and industries would suffer to the detriment of the neighbourhood in particular and the public as a whole.
15 It is suggested that rather than allow the Thames & Severn Canal to be abandoned with inevitable closing of the Stroudwater Navigation which has served the district as a waterway for well over 150 years, it would be more in the public interest that the former should be maintained in a state of through efficiency in accordance with the principles of the Railway and Canal Traffic Act 1854.
The Objectors therefore humbly pray that the application of the County Council may not be granted without full enquiry into all the facts of alternatively that financial assistance be given to the Stroudwater Navigation to enable it to keep open and improve the condition of the Thames & Severn.
Ship Inn Premises
Letters were put in from Messrs Bretherton & Son re the forfeiture of the lease of the Ship Inn Premises. With regard to the sale thereof they suggested that premises which are not part of the lease but which were let to their Client should form part of any sale. They understood these premises were in the take of former tenants of the Ship Inn premises.
It was decided that the right of forfeiture of the lease had not been waived by the Company, and that it might be agreed to arrange to include in the price,£500, all the premises formerly known as the "Ship Inn" viz House, Stable, Wash-house with loft over and small piece of ground attached thereto.
Canal Bank at Bond's Mill
The piling of the Canal Bank at this place had been completed and the Gas C^o were about to commence the work of laying new gas main.
Stable in Mr Z Whiting's Yard - Eastington
The Committee decided to accept the £50..- as cash compensation for Stable taken down by the County Council for road improvement at Pike Bridge.
Swing Bridges
The Condieration of the removal of the Lodgemore & Gas House Bridges were again postponed.
Premises at Wallbridge, M^r Hopson (Rent: £26..2..0 pa)
It was reported that M^r Hopson was occupying more Wharf Room than was set out in his Agreement.
The Clerk was instructed to see M^r Hopson and obtain particulars of his requirements.
A letter was read from M^r Rowntree requesting a copy of the Annual Report of the Company.
The Clerk was directed to ask Messrs Dudbridge & Sons to undertake to reply.
Next Meeting
It was Ordered that the next Committee be fixed for the 28^th January 1925 @ 3 o'clock pm and the General Half Yearly Meeting to be held at 3.30pm the same day.
Tonnage
The Tonnage for the period 1^St July to 16^th December was £470..10..6 comparing wih £511..5..4 last year and £444..13..6 in 1914.
Tonnage
The Tonnage for the month of November 1924 was £81..19..9 comparing with £96..17..11 last year and £103..3..10 in 1914.
Balance at the Bank
The Balance at Lloyd's Bank Ltd Stroud was £134..15..10 against £55..18..5 last year and £265..11..6 in 1914.
Cheques drawn: £ s d
Committee Fees: 1..12..6
A R Blick & Sons, Buildings A/c: 1..-..3
H Gascoigne & Sons Maintenance A/c: 1..16..11
S J Vinson & C^o Ltd Maintenance A/c: 1..0..11
Ryeford Saw Mills C^o Maintenance A/c: 13..12..0
