1147 Marine Drive - The Old Budget Gate

Image: © Eirian Evans Taken: 14 Jan 2012

In 1909 Lloyd George introduced the People's Budget, which started Old Age Pensions, but also included a tax on land values to help pay for them.. This provoked much indignation and opposition from landowners across the UK and a Mr Horton, who owned most of the land in Rhos-on-Sea at the time, put up a toll gate here on the Promenade in protest, and called it The Budget Toll Gate - hence the name of the house. He sold the road and its tollgate to the tram company in 1911 when they built their new tramway. However the tram company continued to charge a toll to cars using the road, until they became bankrupt in 1961. The toll was only abolished in 1963, when the council bought the road and gave it its first proper surface. Cars were being charged a shilling (5p) and (perambulators a penny) at the time of its closure. (Rhos on Sea Heritage Trail information)

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