Folkestone
Express 26-1-1935
Editorial
The Folkestone Council are making material progress
with the schme for the clearance of the slums in Radnor Street, and this will
undoubtedly be pleasing to the majority of Folkestone people. Practically all
opposition to the scheme in the Council Chamber has vanished, and it is clear
that the members are determined that without any delay now the operations will
be pushed forward to a successful conclusion. Yesterday the General Purposes
Committee considered the Health Committee minutes in connection with the
further development of the scheme, and the members were almost unanimous
concerning the Committee`s decisions. These were mainly concerned with the
licensed houses in teh area. These might have provided a very knotty problem,
for they were left out of the proposed scheme by the Health Minister`s order.
Unless something had been done in this direction three of the houses would have
remained as they were, and would have undoubtedly proved an eyesore set amidst
a modern and what will be a model housing estate. The Town Clerk (Mr. C.F.
Nicholson) was instructed to negotiate with the owners of the Jubilee Inn, the
Oddfellows Arms and the Ship Inn, and he is certainly to be complimented upon
the able manner in which he carried out those negotiations, and which will
certainly contribute towards the ultimate success of the scheme. The present
three houses will, if the proposals go through as it is hoped, be demolished
and will be re-built within the layout of the whole scheme. This will
necessitate an exchange of land, and the owners will receive an added piece of
land. Another licensed house in the area will disappear, but that will be a
matter of purchase. The re-erection of modern licensed houses will certainly
add to the effectiveness of the clearance of the whole of the area. The
purchase of three houses in Radnor Street not included in the order will also
give added scope for dealing with the whole of the area in a manner which will
resound to the credit of Folkestone. In order that the re-housing of people
from the area and other areas can be efficaciously carried out, the Committee
yesterday also agreed to the erection of 32 additional houses on the Hill Road
Housing Estate. Everyone who has consideration for those people who have had to
live in houses not worthy of being called houses will assuredly agree with this
extension of the Corporation estate. It looks like being full steam ahead now
with regard to the Radnor Street slum clearance, and those who have regard for
the fair name of Folkestone will be exceedingly pleased.
Council Meeting Extract
Yesterday (Thursday) the General Purposes Committee of
the Folkestone Town Council had before them the recommendations of the Health Committee
regarding the Radnor Street slum clearance scheme, and by their approval
considerable progress will be made in the proposals for the demolition of the
property. The recommendations include the demolition of three of the licensed
houses on the sit and their removal on to different sites, and the removal of
one house altogether.
The Health Committee`s recommendations were as
follows:- Radnor Street Area: (a) Licensed Houses: The Town Clerk reported
that, as instructed by the Committee, he had been in negotiation with the
owners of the licensed houses excluded from the provisions of the Folkestone
(Radnor Street No. 1) Housing
Confirmation Order, 1934. The result of the negotiations is as follows: Jubilee
Inn: The owners of this house are prepared to erect a new house on the site
provisionally allocated for this purpose in the lay-out plan approved by the
Council, subject to the cleared site being conveyed to them in exchange for the
site of the existing Jubilee Inn. Oddfellows Arms: The owners of this house are
also prepared to erect a new house on the site provisionally allocated for this
purpose in the lay-out plan approved by the Council. This proposal will also
involve an exchange of lands, and is subject to the Corporation agreeing to
compensate the tenant for his trade fixtures and fittings, such compensation to
be fixed by a valuer to be agreed upon. Ship Inn: No definite decision has yet
been received from the owners of this house, but it is likely that they will
also agree to demolish and re-build this house on a site in the vicinity of the
present house. The arrangement will also involve an exchange of lands. The
whole of the above mentioned arrangements are, of course, subject to the
approval of the Licensing Justices.
Resolved that the committee approve in principle of the
above mentioned arrangements.
Councillor Lillie said that meeting was brought forward
a week in order that the negotiations which the Town clerk had had in
connection with the licensed houses could be considered. If the licence holders
had to transfer their licence from the present house to the house it was
proposed to build no time should be lost in considering the recommendations in
order that the owners could be informed so that they could appear before the
Justices at the Brewster Sessions and make application for their transfer. He
would like the Committee to express their approval of those negotiations, and
also to make any remarks they wished in regard to any items on those
proceedings. He moved that the minutes be approved. Alderman Mrs. Gore
seconded.
Councillor Barfoot: Do you not think as the public
houses are to be pulled down an attempt should be made to reduce the number
there? There certainly does not appear to be any need for three in teh area.
Cannot an application be made to the licensing authorities to have the number
reduced?
Councillor Mrs. Thiselton: How many houses have to be
sacrificed if the Ship Inn is to be given a plot?
The Town Clerk: If it remains as it is it will take the
site of two houses.
Councillor Hart asked the Town Clerk whether the
Ministry of Health did not state that the licensed houses should not be
reduced.
The Town Clerk: They did not say that. The Ministry
excluded the licensed houses under the Compulsory Purchase Order, which prevented
you from acquiring the properties. The point raised by Councillor Barfoot is
quite a different matter. I understand representations were made comparatively
recently to have one removed.
Alderman Stainer: That was about a year ago.
The Town Clerk: And the licensing Justices decided not
to refuse the licence.
Councillor Barfoot: The circumstances have altered.
The Mayor: In what respect?
The Town clerk: There is one house going. We are
acquiring one of the four there at present.
Councillor Johnson: Have we any information about trade
done by these houses – the barrelage?
Councillor Gadd: On a point of order. Is this not a
question of slum clearance and not redundancy of licence? Have we any authority
for dealing with redundancy this morning?
The Mayor: We have not. It will have to be brought up
by an outside authority. At the present time it is not before us.
Councillor Mrs. Thiselton said they offered doubling
the plot of land for the re-building of the public houses. Land constituted
wealth, so they were offering something in the shape of wealth to the owners of
the licensed houses. They were having to buy those new houses, and they had a
number of deficiencies which were caused through having to give up that land.
The Town Clerk: It is not so.
Councillor Mrs. Thiselton said when they were in
Committee the Town clerk asked the Borough Engineer why he could not squash the
houses up a little more, and the Borough Engineer said it was impossible. It
was then discussed that they should buy the three additional houses.
The Mayor: That was more from the point of view of
giving a better approach to the houses.
Councillor Thiselton: I deny that.
The Town Clerk said he wished to explain that the
Minister merely said that they were not to spend £20,000 to buy public houses.
Councillor Mrs. Thiselton said it was no use discussing
that; the public houses were there. She was referring to the first meeting
after the Ministry`s decision was published.
The Town Clerk said the Minister`s order excluded the
public houses in order that the expense of acquiring them might be avoided. As,
at any rate, two of them interfered with the lay-out it became incumbent upon
them to arrange for their removal on some terms. The owners had agreed to
remove them all to other sites on the terms of exchanging land. They,
therefore, got the houses removed from their present sites as they desired, at
no cost other than that the sites on which they were going were slightly larger
than the sites on which the present houses stood. “I have”, he said “seen the
Ministry of Health of those proposals. They think the proposals before you are
extremely satisfactory”. They had got the removal of the three licensed places
from their present lay-out at a very small cost indeed.
Councillor Davis said in four or five years` time the
question of redundancy might come up again. Would it not then cost more than it
would today to reduce the number? That was what he thought Councillor Barfoot
was driving at.
The Town clerk: Why should it be suggested in five
years that you would want to buy a new house?
Councillor Davis: It would not cost so much now.
The Town Clerk said the question of redundancy had
nothing to do with the Council. If there was a wish to reduce them in five or
six years` time there was the question of redundancy to consider, and that
would have to be decided by the Compensation Authority.
The Mayor: This question does not come within the scope
of this Council.
Councillor Barfoot: Was it not understood that on the
site of Nos. 5, 7, and 9 a public house would be built on that corner?
Several members: No.
Councillor Kent said if that scheme was carried out
they would have three modern public houses with adequate accommodation, which
they did not possess now. The arrangements were, he considered, splendid.
The Mayor said he was present at the meeting of the
Health Committee, and he thought they were all indebted to the Town Clerk for
the very able manner in which he had carried out very delicate negotiations. He
thought the Council had done exceedingly well, and he considered the best thing
they could do was to agree to those recommendations unanimously.
The resolution approving the minutes was carried, only
Mrs. Thiselton voting against it.
Folkestone
Express 9-2-1935
Council Meeting Extract
The monthly meeting of the Town Council was held on
Wednesday.
The Radnor Street Scheme
Councillor Mrs. Thiselton said she would like to know
if Nos. 5, 7, and 9, Radnor Street had been offered for the re-building of the
Ship Inn.
Councillor Lillie said Councillor Mrs. Thiselton had
learned there was a wish by the owners of one of the licensed houses in the
area to build a new public house on the site of the three houses. The offer was
still open and they could negotiate with the Council. He thought he could hold
out no hope that they were likely to do so.
Folkestone
Express 16-2-1935
Annual Licensing Sessions
The annual Licensing Sessions was held on Wednesday at
the Folkestone Town Hall, when the Chief Constable (Mr. A.S. Beesley) reported
that there had only been 15 convictions for drunkenness, the number being the
same as the previous year. One licence, that of the Mechanics Arms, was
referred to the adjourned licensing sessions, all the others being renewed. The
licensing hours were extended for the whole of the summer time period by half
an hour, from 10 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. on weekdays.
Mr. R.G. Wood presided, and a number of Magistrates
were on the Bench.
Radnor Street Licensed Houses
Several of the clergy and ministers and representatives
of various religions and temperance bodies were present in Court, evidently
with a view to watching the proceedings concerning the licensed houses in the
Radnor Street area. Mr. C.F. Nicholson, the Town Clerk, was also present.
The Chairman asked the Town Clerk if he had anything to
say.
Mr. Nicholson said he really did not quite understand
the position with regard to the licences in the Radnor Street area. Did they
want him to explain what the Corporation`s proposals would be?
The Clerk (Mr. C. Rootes): These licences will be
renewed today?
Mr. Nicholson: Certainly.
The Clerk: Nothing comes in force until next year?
Mr. Nicholson: The Corporation do not own any of the
licences for the moment. I did not anticipate I should have to explain anything
today.
The Chairman: We are asked to renew four licences in
the area. We have no official information. It is a question whether they should
be renewed or referred to the adjourned sessions. We know something by
newspapers. We can defer the renewal and in the meantime think over what action
we shall take.
Mr. Nicholson: The owners of these houses are not
represented this morning. Is it proper for me to say anything about it?
The Chairman: Why are you here?
Mr. Nicholson: I did not ask to be here.
The Rev. Dr. Carlile: Is this an application now being
made for the renewal of the four licences? If so, have the applications been
made in order?
The Clerk, to Mr. Nicholson: Is there anything you have
to officially mention? In the ordinary course there is an application for the
renewal of all the licences, which does not affect what you are doing in the
Radnor Street area.
Mr. Nicholson: I am not making any application this
morning.
The Chairman: We would like to have some information of
what is likely to happen.
Mr. Nicholson said as they were probably aware the
Corporation had submitted to the Ministry of Health a compulsory purchase
order. There were four licensed houses in the area. The Ministry declined to
allow the Corporation to purchase three of the houses and they were struck out
of the order. The remaining house, the Packet Boat, would be acquired by the
Corporation as a going concern. It so happened that the Jubilee, the Ship, and
the Oddfellows Arms, where they now stood, interfered with the proposed lay-out
of the new houses, and on instructions he entered into negotiations with the
owners. Two of them, the Jubilee and the Oddfellows Arms, agreed to re-erect, subject
to the approval of the Magistrates, on alternative sites that would enable the
Corporation`s lay-out scheme to be proceeded with. With regard to the Ship Inn,
he had not yet received the decision of the owners as to whether they were
prepared to pull down and re-erect a new house. The terms of the arrangements
with the Jubilee and the Oddfellows were subject to applications which would be
made to them in due course. There was to be an exchange of land in connection
with them. There was to be no cost to the Corporation other than paying the
tenant for the trade fixtures. With regard to the Ship Inn, he had not obtained
information whether they were prepared to pull down. That house did not
interfere with the scheme so much as the other two. It would be much better for
the scheme if that house was pulled down and re-erected, but the Corporation
could not insist upon it. The other owners had done all they could to assist in
their scheme. The Packet Boat would be definitely acquired. Notice to treat had
been served and a claim had been sent in. The Ministry confirmed the order
which included that house.
Mr. E.H. Philcox, who stated he represented a number of
residents in that area, said he would like to raise a question on the renewal
of the houses.
The Clerk: I cannot see you have any locus standi.
Mr. Philcox asked if the matter for the removals would
come up at the adjourned sessions. If so, he would be there to object. It
seemed to him they would be able that day to only provisionally renew the
licences for the time being, or mention that they would be referred on the
ground of redundancy.
Dr. Carlile said a very considerable number of
residents were interested in those four licences. If there was any
consideration of the question of the renewal of the licences they definitely
asked that their views might be considered in reference to redundancy.
The Chairman enquired what the police view was.
The Chief Constable said at the Magistrates` primary
meeting he received instructions to go into the question of redundancy and
ascertain whether it would be possible to differentiate between the houses. He
did so and he found some considerable difficulty in saying because it was an
established fact that there were not too many licensed houses for the summer trade
in the area. All the houses did extremely well. Whether they were structurally
adapted or not was open to enquiry. The houses less structurally fitted were
doing a better trade. More customers were in those pokey houses than in the
better houses. There was, he supposed, a psychological reason for it. He had
had a system of paying monthly visits and it gave him a line on the trade. He
had selected a certain number of houses and they had put them into three
groups.
The Chief Constable then described the groups and gave
details of the numbers of customers in them at certain times. The first group
consisted of the Mechanics Arms, the Honest Lawyer, and the Harvey Hotel. The
second group included the Harbour Hotel, the True Briton, the London and Paris
Hotel, and the Princess Royal. The third group were the Alexandra Hotel, Royal
George, South Foreland, the Wonder, the Pavilion Shades, the Chequers, the
Wellington, the Royal Oak, and the Lifeboat.
The Magistrates retired to consider the matter and on
their return the Chairman said they had decided to renew all the licences with
the exception of the Mechanics Arms, which they renewed until the adjourned
licensing sessions when it would be considered with regard to redundancy.
Dr. Carlile: Then no objection can be taken here and
now, or in any other place, to the four licences involved in the scheme?
The Clerk: There will be applications for removals
later and anyone can be heard at the time those applications are made. That is
the position.
The Chairman: It will be better for the objections to
be raised when the transfer comes along.
Dr. Carlile: It puts us at a very serious disadvantage.
There will only be a question of renewal then.
The Chairman: It is a question of renewing them for one
year now.
Dr. Carlile: It will be a question of the removal of
licences that have already been granted.
The Chairman: That is the position.
Folkestone
Herald 16-2-1935
Annual Licensing Sessions
Another year of sobriety was reported by the Chief Constable (Mr. A.S.
Beesley) to the Licensing Magistrates at the annual Licensing Sessions for the
Borough, which were held at the Town Hall on Wednesday. All the licenses were renewed with the
exception of that of the Mechanics’ Arms, which was referred to the adjourned
annual Sessions with a view to the question of redundancy being considered. During the Sessions reference was made
to the four licensed houses in the Radnor Street area, a statement being made
by the Town Clerk.
The Magistrates were Mr. R.G. Wood, Mr. A.E.
Pepper, Mr. J.H. Blarney, Dr. W.W. Nuttall, Alderman T.S. Franks, Alderman
Mrs. E. Gore, Mr. P. Seager, Alderman W. Hollands and Alderman J.W. Stainer.
The Town Clerk (Mr. C. F. Nicholson) was
present and it was suggested he should address the Magistrates. He said that he
did not quite understand what they wanted him to tell them.
The Clerk (Mr. C. Rootes): What is the
position of the licensed houses in the Radnor Street area?
The
Town Clerk: You want me to explain what the effect of the Corporation’s proposals in regard to the
Radnor Street area will be?
The Clerk: These licences won’t be renewed, will they?
The Town Clerk: Certainly. The Corporation don’t own any of the
licences at the moment.
The Clerk: They may.
The Town Clerk: Only one. If the Bench want me
to explain what the position is likely to be I shall be pleased to do so.
The
Chairman said they were asked to renew four licences in the area. They had no official information as to what
would happen to them. The question arose whether they should be renewed that
morning or put over to the adjourned Sessions.
The Town Clerk pointed out that the owners of the houses were not represented
that morning. Was it proper for him to say anything about it in their absence?
The Chairman: Why are you here?
The Town Clerk explained that he was asked to come.
The Clerk said he thought the Magistrates might like some information.
Dr. J.C. Carlile, who was present with other clergy and ministers, then
asked if an application was now being made for the renewal of these licences in
the Radnor Street area.
The Clerk (to the Town Clerk): Is there anything you have to mention
this morning why the licences should not be renewed in the ordinary way?
The Town Clerk said it would not affect what the Corporation were doing
in the Radnor Street area if the licences were renewed. He pointed out that he
was making no application to the Magistrates that morning. As they were probably aware the
Corporation had submitted to the Ministry of Health a Compulsory Purchase Order
for the acquisition of most of the properties in the Radnor Street area.
Included in the order were four licensed houses, the Jubilee Inn, the
Oddfellows’ Inn, the Ship Inn and the Packet Boat Inn. When the Minister came
to consider the order he declined to allow the Corporation to purchase three
of those houses, the Jubilee, the Oddfellows’ and the Ship. They were struck
out of the order on the ground of the expense which would be involved if the
Corporation had to acquire them. The remaining house, the Packet Boat Inn,
would be acquired by the Corporation. It so happened that the position of the Jubilee Inn and the Oddfellows’
Inn as they stood at the present time interfered with the proposed lay-out of
the new houses. On the instructions of the Corporation he had entered into
negotiations with the owners of the houses concerned and two of them, namely
the Jubilee and the Oddfellows, had agreed, subject to the approval of the
Magistrates, to pull down and build new houses on alternative sites. That
would enable the Corporation’s lay-out scheme to be proceeded with, but with
regard to the other house, the Ship Inn, he had not yet received the decision
of the owners of that house as to whether they were prepared to pull down and
erect a new house on a new site. These terms of the arrangements with the
owners of the Jubilee and Oddfellows’ were subject to an application which
would be made to the Magistrates in due course. The owners of the houses were
conveying to the Corporation the sites of their existing houses in exchange
for sites on which they would build new houses. There was to be no cost to the
Corporation other than certain compensation to the tenant. In spite of the fact
that the houses were struck out of the order, the way in which the owners had
met the Corporation would enable the lay-out scheme to be proceeded with as
they desired.
The Chairman: That’s for two of the houses?
The Town Clerk replied that that was so. With regard to the Ship Inn, as
he had stated, he had not yet obtained the decision of the owners of the house.
If they decided to stay where they were, their house would not interfere with
the scheme so much as the other two had done. It would mean that their house
would abut in front of a line of cottages which were going to be built there.
The Chairman: It won’t seriously interfere with you?
The Town Clerk: No, but it would be much better if they would. We cannot
insist on them doing so. The other owners have done all they can to meet the
wishes of the Corporation. Continuing, the Town Clerk said
the fourth house was the Packet Boat Inn which was to be acquired by the
Corporation.
Dr. Carlile: Is it?
The Clerk: Don’t interrupt, please.
Continuing, the Town Clerk said notice to treat had been served and a
claim had been sent in. That house was being acquired because the site was
definitely required in connection with the lay-out scheme, and the Ministry had
confirmed an order which included that house but excluded the other three.
Mr. E.H. Philcox, a solicitor, then rose and asked permission to speak.
He stated that he represented a number of residents in the area: He wanted to address the Bench on the question of
the renewal of these licences.
The Clerk said he could not see any locus standi.
Mr. Philcox said when the matter did come before them again in
connection with the removals of these houses he would be there to object on
behalf of a number of residents. It did seem to him, however, that it would be
more satisfactory if they only provisionally renewed those licences that day. Amongst the
points he would make would be one on the grounds of redundancy.
Dr. Carlile said if the Magistrates were going to discuss this matter he
wished to point out that a considerable number of residents were interested in
these four houses and if there was any consideration of the question of the
renewal of these licences then they asked that their views might be considered
in reference to the question of redundancy. If the Magistrates were going to
refer them back no further word need be said now on the subject.
The Chief Constable said he received the Magistrates’ instructions at
their preliminary meeting in regard to the question of redundancy. He had found
some considerable difficulty in deciding. It was an established fact that there
were not too many licences in the borough for the summer trade, for all houses
did extremely well during the period, whether structurally adapted for the
purpose or not. One found that houses the least structurally fitted were doing
a better trade. They found more customers in these pokey houses. He supposed
there was a psychological reason for it. He had had a system since he had been
there of monthly visits and those visits gave him a line on what trade the
houses were doing. He had selected a number of houses and grouped them into
three groups.
The first group included the Mechanics Arms, the Honest
Lawyer, and the Harvey Hotel. He had taken comparative figures for the
year and these figures showed that the Honest Lawyer had an average of 19 customers
on every occasion they were visited; the Harvey Hotel 16, and the Mechanics
Arms six. They made a special series of visits
between January 17th and February 3rd and they found that
the Mechanics Arms had an average of five; the Harvey 10; and the Honest Lawyer
17. They would see from those figures that the figures were pretty well the
same for the whole year. It would appear superficially that of these three the
Mechanics Arms was the one to go.
He had another group made. It consisted of the Harbour Hotel, the True
Briton, the London and Paris and the Princess Royal. The figures for the year
showed an average of 28.5 for the Harbour Hotel; 17.5 for the True Briton; 46.5
for the London and Paris; and 7 for the Princess Royal. The licensee of the Princess Royal had
been there for 25 years and in spite of the figure he had mentioned they seemed
to be making a living somehow or other.
The Chief Constable mentioned a third group which included the Alexandra,
the Royal George' the South Foreland, the Wonder, the Pavilion Shades, the
Chequers, the Wellington, the Royal Oak and the Lifeboat. The two which were
doing the least trade, judged by' his figures, were the' Wonder with an average
of 12 and the Lifeboat with an average of 14. The others were not doing very
much better. It. was difficult to differentiate in that group. He was prepared to take directions from the Magistrates, but he was not
prepared to give any.
The Magistrates then retired.
The Chairman stated on their return that with reference to Dr. Carlile’s
question, the Bench had decided that later on he (the Chairman) should renew
all the licences with the exception of the Mechanics Arms, the licence of which
the Magistrates had decided not to renew that morning but refer to the
adjourned Sessions to have evidence of redundancy or otherwise.
Dr. Carlile: That means ho objection can be taken here and now or at any
other place to the four licences involved in the Radnor Street scheme?
The Chairman: I think now is the time for you to raise any objection.
The Clerk pointed out that there would be applications for the removals of
these licences later on and then anyone could be heard.
The Chairman: That will be the better time, then.
Dr. Carlile said it put them at a very serious disadvantage because the
licences would be granted again and there would only be the question of
removal. It meant that when it came to the question of removal of the licences,
it would be the removal of a licence which was already in being.
The Chairman: I am afraid that that is the position.
The Chairman then announced the renewal of all licences with the exception
of the Mechanics Arms, which he stated would be deferred until the adjourned
sessions.
Folkestone
Herald 9-3-1935
Council Meeting Extract
The Health Committee
reported that the Town Clerk had been informed by the owners of the Ship Inn
that it was not their intention to re-buiid the premises. They had asked
whether the Corporation would be prepared to sell to them a piece of land in the
area adjoining the existing inn to be utilised in the event of the owners deciding
to re-build at some future date. The Committee recommended that the owners the
Ship Inn be informed that the Corporation were not prepared to sell to them a
piece of land fur this purpose.
Folkestone Herald 7-1-1939
Local News
The Folkestone Licensing Magistrates on Wednesday
granted the transfer of the licence of the Ship Inn, Folkestone, from Mr. G.W.
Prior to his son, Mr. Albert John Prior.
Folkestone Herald
15-4-1939
Local
News
At
the Folkestone Police Court on Wednesday, the Magistrates approved alterations
to the Ship Inn, Folkestone.
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