London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
St Pancras 1899
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, London, Borough of]
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in the Vestry's scheme, and that it is proposed to sanction the schemes, subject to
the modification suggested by the London County Council, and to the condition
that dwellings for the accommodation of not less than 460 persons of the labouring
class shall be provided on the Chapel Grove area.
As the proposals of the London County Council, as regards the Chapel Grove
area, would necessitate the acquisition of Nos. 13, 15, and 17, Chapel Street, the
Board requested that the Vestry would ascertain and inform them whether these
houses can be acquired by agreement; and the Board further requested to be
furnished with plans illustrating the modified schemes, including plans and
elevations of the dwellings to be erected on the Chapel Grove area, together with
an estimate of the cost of each scheme as modified.
The Vestry resolved that steps be taken for ascertaining whether Nos. 13, 15
and 17, Chapel Street, Somers Town, can be acquired by agreement, and also that
all necessary plans and estimates as to the cost of the modified schemes be
prepared.
HOUSING SCHEMES AND THE COST OF LAND.
At the end of 1898 a circular letter was sent to the Medical Officers of
Health of the London Vestries and District Boards, and of the County Boroughs,
asking for information as to the prices paid per square yard for bare land—(a) in
unhealthy areas, and (b) in places outside unhealthy areas, for the erection of
additional dwellings, and explaining that in the case of land with buildings upon it
the cost should include all the interests in the buildings and the land, and the cost
of demolition less the value of materials.
From these circular letters, and from a Return of the London County Council,
dated October, 1899, showing the cost of the Council's housing schemes the
following Tables have been compiled:—
Schemes initiated and carried out by the London County Council.
| Date of Act Authorising Scheme. | Scheme. | Gross Cost. | Approximate Area in Acres. | Approximate cost per square yard. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | s. | d. | |||
| 1891 | Boundary Street, Bethnal Green (including Goldsmith Row). | 336,145 | 15 | 4 | 12 | 7 |
| 1892 | Brooke's Market, Holborn | 8,402 | 1/5 | 8 | 13 | 7 |
| 1893 | Ann Street, Poplar | 9,676 | 2 | 13 | 3 | |
| 1893 | Mill Lane, Deptford | 21,283 | 6 | 15 | 8 | |
| l895 | Churchway, Somers Town, St. Pancras | 58,440 | 6 | 0 | 9 | |
| 1895 | Clare Market, Strand | 381,400 | 3½ | 22 | 10 | 3 |
| 1895 | Falcon Court, Borough | 35,500 | 4 | 17 | 9 | |
The Areas in acres have been obtained from the pamphlet published by the
London County Council at the opening of the Boundary Street Area, entitled, a
Description of the Boundary Street Area, and having appended to it a summary
of the action taken by the London County Council under the Housing of the
Working Classes Act, 1890.