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19
"The questions which prominently presented themselves to the
Committee were:—
(1) What additional accommodation was necessary to
mee.t the Board's own requirements ?
(2) Whether provision should be made for grouping all
the Authorities of the Parish together under one
roof ?
(3) Whether the Committee should confine their consideration
to the present needs only, or
(4) Whether they should recommend provision for the
future growth of the District ?
"The present Offices were designed in 1874 to meet the
requirements of the District Board, and little, if any, provision,
was made for the extended growth of the District.
Immediately after the Board came into possession of the
building, arrangements were made for letting off a portion
of the same to the Guardians of the Poor of the Parish of
Lewisham, and, since that date, several other Authorities
have come into existence and require office accommodation,
and the number of Members of the Vestry has been increased
from 36 to 120, and that of the District Board from 27
to 48.
"The enormous growth of the District, and the vast increase
in the business to be transacted, call imperatively for an
immediate enlargement of the Town Hall, and the Committee
are of opinion that ample provision should be made,
not only for the present, but also for the future requirements
of the District.
"Taking these matters into consideration, the Committee,
unanimously, arrived at the following conclusions :—
1st—That provision should be made for grouping all the
Authorities in Lewisham who now, generally, meet at
the Town Hall, under one roof, and that office accommodation
should be provided for them.
2nd—That provision should be made not only for immediate
needs, but for the future growth of the District,
and that the accommodation to be provided should be
such as would, in all probability, meet the requirements
for many years to come.
"Proceeding upon these principles the Committee, in the first
place, considered the question of the enlargement of the
present Board Boom, the accommodation of which, since
the date of the increased numbers in the Board and Vestry,
has been found to be inadequate.