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40
Miscellaneous.
In March, 1892, a notice was received on behalf of Mr. Jacob from Mr. B. Wells, builder,
proposing to build upon the site of the old Drill Hall, Lower Road, a lodging house capable of
accommodating 200 persons. A Committee of the Vestry having viewed the site and conferred
with Mr. Jacob and Mr. Stock, his Architect, and having inspected a plan of the elevation thereof,
were of opinion that the erection of a lodging-house as proposed on the said site would be
objectionable on the ground that it would be likely to cause a nuisance and deteriorate the property
in the locality, and they accordingly directed the Clerk to communicate with Mr. and Mrs. CarrGomm,
the freeholders of the site, with a view to their taking steps to prevent the erection of
the proposed building. The Committee subsequently met Mr. Carr-Gomm, Mr. Still, (his
Solicitor,) Mr. Jacob, and Mr. Page the Architect, on the site, and discussed the matter with
them, the result being that Mr. Carr-Gomm promised to consider the matter with Mrs. CarrGomm,
and to further communicate with the Vestry.
A letter was received from Mr. Carr-Gomm, the substance of which is as follows :—
That he had fully explained the matter to Mrs. Carr-Gomm and considered it with her,
and that as the land was not in their hands but in those of the lessee for the next 70
years, the only right they had was to approve or not of the building proposed to be
erected: that the professional men he had consulted told him they could not see that
the proposed building would in any way be detrimental to the place as the Vestry
feared, and that there were no sufficient reasons on which they could legally withhold
sanction ; but they did not desire to run counter to the wishes of the Vestry, and he
suggested two alternative remedies, viz.:—If any of the objectors could bring forward
at once, some one, either private individual, corporate body or religious community,
who would come forward and offer to take the land and erect houses, shops, or
unobjectionable buildings on the site, taking a sub-lease of not less than £35 from the
lessee, Mr. and Mrs. Carr-Gomm would then not sanction Mr. Jacob's building,
would personally undertake to satisfy him, and would use their influence to obtain the
lessee's agreement to the change ; but if such scheme were not forthcoming, then he
thought a great part of the objections might be met by allowing Mr. Jacob's building
to go forward, insisting upon his making the entrance to the lodging house at least 50
feet up Neptune Street, and having on the Lower Road face only the entrance to the
two shops.