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29
price as a basis of transfer between the Committee and the Council, and after an offer on
behalf of the Vestry of £4,000 had been declined, the Vestry finally agreed to purchase
the property for this price, and a loan of £4,550 was taken up for this purpose from
the London County Council on the 29th day of October, 1897, when the conveyance
to the Vestry was completed. The price paid was certainly a reasonable one,
considering the good state of repair of the building, as it only amounted to about
22s. 6d. per foot super, whereas shortly after the purchase, a large block of property
immediately adjoining the station was sold by public auction for 30s. per foot. A
scheme has been prepared by the Vestry's Surveyor in consultation with the Town
Hall Committee for making the necessary alterations in the buildings to make them
suitable as offices for the Public Health and Surveyor's Departments, whilst some
additional buildings at the back of the station will provide additional Cloak-room and
Lavatory accommodation (which is much needed for the Town Hall), as well as three
additional Committee Rooms. Meanwhile the ground floor rooms of the Fire
Brigade Station have been temporarily lent to the Technical Schools Committee for
use as extra School rooms, which were much needed for the School.
WORKS.
(a) FRENCH COURT.
As mentioned in my last Annual Report tenders were invited by advertisement
for a 99 years' lease of the vacant ground. A moderate number of enquiries were
received from persons who contemplated tendering, but only two tenders were
actually sent in before the 15th February last, when the tender of Mr. Gates, to take
a 99 years' lease of the vacant land, at an annual rental of £14 15s., and to spend
£400 in building a warehouse, was accepted by the Vestry, and the draft lease has
been submitted to the lessee for approval.
(b) MURRAY STREET AND CUSTANCE STREET IMPROVEMENT.
This improvement for extending Custance Street (at present a cul de sac) into
Murray Street by removal of the obstructing property, was dealt with in the last
Annual Report, so far as related to the interest of Mr. Kipling, who was the sublease
holder and immediate landlord of the occupier of No. 16, Murray Street, and
who had executed an assignment of his interest for £475. The occupier, Mr. Amos, who
was a yearly tenant, gave up possession on receiving £5 from the Vestry for his
unexpired interest. The Committee then entered into negotiations with the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners and Bull's Trustees owners respectively of the Freehold
and chief Leasehold interest in the same house, and also with those interested in
other properties involved in the improvement.
These latter properties included parts of Nos. 74 and 79, Custance Street, and
the interests of the persons variously interested therein are tabulated below in a
form shewing, in each case where the terms for acquisition of the interest have been
concluded, the cost to the Vestry of such acquisition.