Judy Middleton 2001 (revised 2020)
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copyright
© A. Robins
In 1955 Captain Irvine Bately designed the handsome badge of office worn by Chairmen of Portslade UDC. |
It appears that the possibility of Portslade’s amalgamation with neighbouring towns goes back to the 1890s.
In March
1898 Mr F. Sundius Smith, a Portslade councillor on East Sussex
County Council, stated that ‘had they been tacked on to Hove,
Portslade would have become the dust-hole and ash-heap of that
important town’. At the time the question of amalgamation was much
in the air because in 1893 Hove and Aldrington had been joined
together.
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| copyright © D. Sharp The former Fire Station in Church Road. In the early days of Portslade Council, the first floor of the Fire Station was utilised for council or committee meetings, and sometimes as a coroner’s court too. |
1931
In April 1931 Portslade Ratepayers’ Association
requested an amalgamation with Hove under section 54 of the Local
Government Act 1888. But nothing came of it.
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| copyright © G. Osborne 'Floral Hall', the glass structure in the centre of this photograph was next to number 17 Station Road. Portslade Council used to hold their meetings in this hall before they moved to Ronuk Hall, later re-named Portslade Town Hall. With thanks to Mr G. Osborne for granting permission for the reproduction of the above photograph from his private collection. |
1935
In 1935 talks were going on about the possible
amalgamation of Southwick and Shoreham. Some time before these talks
got under way, Shoreham had applied to absorb Southwick, but this was
refused. Then Southwick proposed that Portslade, Shoreham and
Southwick should become an Urban District, but this also was turned
down.
However, in 1935 it was hoped that Portslade would
join in with the discussions. The facts and figures were as follows:
Shoreham
– 1,706 acres – population in 1921 7,279 – population in 1931
8,757
Southwick
– 1,103 acres – population in 1921 4,847 – population in 1931
6,138
Portslade
– 1,953 acres – population in 1921 8,219 – population in 1931
9,527
in October 1935 there was a discussion about
Portslade’s future at a general meeting of Portslade Ratepayer’s
Association. Major Whitehead, Portslade councillor, favoured an
amalgamation with Hove. But Mr A. C. W. Woodhouse replied that the
last time Hove was approached upon the subject, they were not
interested. If Hove did not want Portslade, why not amalgamate with
Brighton? Mr Donald Cook said that if that were to happen, Portslade
would become ‘the dumping ground of the working classes’. The
Ratepayers’ Association resolved that Portslade Urban District
Council ought to consider amalgamation with one of the towns.
However, Portslade Urban District Council took a
different view entirely and in November 1935 defeated a motion to
appoint a committee to confer with Hove on the matter. Mr H. Durrant
JP stated that the idea came to grief last time because Hove thought
the acquisition of Portslade would put a burden upon Hove ratepayers.
By July 1938 Hove Council again informed Portslade
that they did not want an amalgamation. Then the outbreak of war
stopped any further discussions.
1946
The Boundary Commission was looking into Sussex
affairs in this year, and did make a recommendation that Hove and
Portslade should be amalgamated. But no action was taken.
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| copyright © Brighton & Hove City Libraries Ronuk Hall and Welfare Institute opened in 1928. In 1959 Portslade-by-Sea Urban District Council was able to purchase Ronuk Hall for £36,500 by disposing of their old offices. On 2 September 1959 Robert Shields, chairman of PUDC, officially opened Portslade Town Hall. |
1974
On 1 April 1974 Portslade and Hove were
amalgamated. In Portslade it was not a popular move and many people
would have preferred a union with Southwick and Shoreham. For those
Portslade residents with a sense of history it was an insult because
for centuries Portslade had been the most important and extensive
parish by comparison with Hove, Aldrington, Hangleton, and West
Blatchington. Indeed, in times past Hove was a small parish of 778
acres whose northern boundary only extended to what is now Old
Shoreham Road.
1997
On 1 April 1997 Portslade’s identity was further
eroded by becoming part of the County of Brighton and Hove.
2001
In this year Brighton and Hove became a city.
Sources
Middleton J, Encyclopaedia of Hove and Portslade
Local Newspapers
Copyright © J.Middleton 2019
page layout by D. Sharp
page layout by D. Sharp