Increase of Buildings; — were they all wanted?
At this time, 1852 and the following year, the rapid increase of buildings, and the general improvement in size, style and convenience were such as would have utterly astonished any person who had been absent from the borough only two or three years. Robertson street, Robertson terrace, Carlisle parade, Eversfield place and other sites between Hastings proper and St. Leonards proper, had come into existence or were being built upon as if by magic. In Eversfield place alone were erected what are now numbered as 7 to 30, and 41 to 67 — all within the two named years. Apropos of this building mania, the Hastings News, of August 13th, had an editorial, of which the following is an extract: —
- “One hundred and fifty houses have, since the era of the Public Health Act been erected within the borough. At least a thousand individuals, from the babe to the patriarch, must be needed to fill these habitations. Our Building Societies are doing a great work by aiding the man of small capital to step into a good house, and ultimately to become a freeholder. But house-building is only advantageous where occupiers are to be found; the value of the former must depend on the number and wealth of the latter, for an article is only worth what it will fetch. Taking this principle along with us, let us go on to consider the condition and prospects of the borough. How far are we favoured with a good supply of that ‘company’ which is essential to our well-being as a watering-place, and what reason have we to hope for holding the good we have or of adding to our store? In the first place, how are the sister towns of Hastings and St. Leonards situated as to visitors? St. Leonards, we believe, has less to complain of than Hastings, since the former is supplied with a more aristocratic class. But even St. Leonards has for sometime been far from overstocked with visitors. Proceeding eastward from the Archway what do the lodging-house keepers and tradesmen tell us? Despite their utmost efforts, do they not find a drag on the wheels somewhere? Have they not for many months past found their labours scantily requited? In 1850 we were dull; then it was the navvies. In 1851 dullness prevailed; then it was the Exhibition. In 1852 we are still dull, and yet we are in a very secondary state, considering that this is the ‘Season’.”
The article then goes on to show that the bane is due to the traffic arrangements of the two lines of railway, whereby a monopoly of charges and negative facilities are applied to these towns, whilst the same two compete with each other for better accommodation to places east and west of our own towns. After this a numerously signed memorial was sent to both companies.
