View report page

6
Taylor'8-yard, comprises a few houses two storeys in height, situated on a passage-way fourteen feot in
width.
The houses in this area are old, but in the majority of instances fairly maintained, and appear to be
occupied by a respectable class of people. The rents vary from 5s. 6d. per week for three rooms to 8s. 6d.
for four. Nearly all the houses in Pitt's-place and the houses in the west side of Williams-court have
been recently acquired by an electric lighting company for the extension of their premises.
In some few instances the level of the site of a court is below that of neighbouring streets, thus
impeding the ventilation of the court and tending to promote dampness. Brunswick-place and
Hatfield-place are thus situated, lying between two almost parallel streets, Hatfield-street and
Brunswick street. The houses in Brunswick-place are two storeys in height, with one room on each
floor, and with no back yatd nor through ventilation, while the houses in Hatfield-place have two
rooms on each of two floors, and have small back yards. The sites of these houses are from three to
six feet below the level of the sites of the neighbouring houses in Brunswick and Hatfield streets.
The houses in all these localities require re-arrangement. It may be expected that the extension
of neighbouring commercial premises will suffice for the removal of the courts and alleys between
Sumner-street and the river, and it may perhaps be found that the proximity of the premises in
St. Margaret's-court to the important thoroughfare of High-street, Borough, will lead to reconstruction,
otherwise the improvement of this court by scheme will become necessary. In the case of Queen's
Arms-court there appears no reason why its improvement by scheme should be delayed.
A number of blocks of artizans' dwellings have been erected in the district providing more than
eleven hundred tenements, mostly of two or three rooms. Single rooms are let at two and sixpence
to five shillings per week; tenements of two rooms from four to seven shillings; tenements of three
rooms from five shillings and threepence to nine shillings per week.
I was informed that allowing for the somewhat frequent removal of persons of the class living in
these buildings, the tenements were nearly always occupied.
At the beginning of the inspection for the purposes of this report, it was found that in one set
of buildings, six storeys in height, the light and ventilation in some of the rooms was seriously
obstructed, owing to the buildings being erected round two enclosed courts having respectively areas
measuring 8 by 11 and 9½ by 23 feet. At the instance of the sanitary authority, the buildings were
improved by the demolition of one part.
In another set of dwellings, six storeys in height, the light was obstructed by a warehouse from
4½ to 6 feet distant, and about as high as the block of dwellings itself.
In some instances the relative positions of door and window in the rooms gave less opportunity
for the ventilation of these rooms than was desirable.
Common lodging-homes.—An inspection of common lodging-houses and shelters, of which a
list was obtained from the sanitary authority, showed that accommodation for over eight hundred persons
had been provided in the district, some two hundred beds being charged for at the rate of 4d. per night,
the large majority of the remainder at 6d. per night, and about a hundred at other prices, ranging
from 5d. to Is. per night.
Houses let in lodgings.—The District Board has for many years possessed by-laws for houses let
in lodgings, but these are not enforced. I am informed that no houses were ever registered under these
by-laws. The Board has since the passing of the Public Health (London) Act, adopted a fresh code
which awaits the confirmation of the Local Government Board. Dr. Herron estimates that the number
of houses which will require to be registered is about 750.
Overcrowding.—Dr. Herron has informed me that he has found very little overcrowding of
dwellings. Inspections are, however, limited to the day, and later visits are only made exceptionally
when complaints of overcrowding have been received. It is the practice of the sanitary authority to
require, in the case of rooms occupied by day and by night, 500 cubic feet of air space for each
adult, and 250 for each child. In the case of rooms occupied by night, only 300 cubic feet of air space
is required for each adult, and 150 for each child.
Sewers.—During my inquiry I was informed that the Council's main sewer in Union Street was
defective. I made, therefore, the following inspection :—
I traversed the sewer in Union Street from Southwark Bridge Road to High Street, Borough, and up
High Street towards London Bridge; this length of the sewer had recently been underpinned, and was in
good order. Entering it again by a side entrance in Princess Street, the sewer was traversed as far as the
corner of Gravel Lane; there was a good deal of deposit in the western two-thirds of this length ; provision
has, I am told, already been made for improving the gradient. In that part of the District Board's
sewer, from Princess Street to Union Street, there was a very large amount of deposit. In view of
the condition of the sewer, it was deemed unsafe to traverse it with a light in a southerly direction.
Entering the Stamford Street sewer near Blackfriars Road, this sewer was traversed for a short length
and found to be clean. Entering the sewer in Broadwall, and going southerly into Hatfield Street,
this sewer was found in similar condition. I was told by the Board's surveyor that tidal inlets are
largely used for flushing the District Board's sewer, and that as a result the removal of deposit was less
necessary than would otherwise be the case.
Bakehouses.—Of the bakehouses, a list of which was obtained from the sanitary authority,
16 were inspected. The majority of these were situated in the basement. In particular instances
there was some want of cleanliness. With regard to ventilation, this was less easily effected in
bakehouses situated in the basement, and in some cases the height from floor to ceiling was so limited
as to render efficient ventilation, without draught, a difficulty. In one instance an open dustbin and
an unenclosed watercloset were found in the bakehouse.
Slaughterhouses and Cowsheds.—There are no licensed slaughterhouses and but one licensed
cowshed in the district.
Workshops.—The sanitary authority had no list of workshops, but I subsequently learnt from
the office of H.M. superintending inspector of workshops, that the total number within the St. Saviour's
boundary on the books of that department, was 285. At the time of my own inspection there had
been no inspection by the sanitary authority of the workshops in the district. I have, however,