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CHAPTER XXXVII.
Housing of the Working Classes.
Powers and
duties of the
Council.
The powers of the Council with respect to the housing of the working classes are derived from
the Housing of the Working Classes Acts, 1890 to 1909, and questions relating thereto are considered
by the Housing of the Working Classes Committee.
Part I. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, as amended by the Acts of 1903 and
1909, places upon the Council the duty of preparing and carrying into effect (after confirmation by
the Local Government Board) schemes for the re-arrangement and reconstruction of the streets and
houses within insanitary areas which are of such size as to be of general importance to the whole
County of London. Any scheme for dealing with such an area must provide for the demolition of the
old houses, and the re-arrangement, so far as is necessary for purposes of health, of the streets and
alleys comprised therein, and must also provide for the accommodation of at least half the number
of persons of the working-classes displaced, in suitable dwellings, which, unless there are any special
reasons to the contrary, must be situated either on the particular area of displacement or within its
immediate vicinity.
Part II. of the Act empowers the Council and the metropolitan borough councils, either jointly
or separately, to undertake schemes for the re-arrangement and reconstruction of insanitary areas
which are too small to be of general importance to the whole County. In any such schemes it is not
essential that new accommodation for the persons displaced should be provided, but the Local Government
Board may order such provision to be made as may appear to be required by the circumstances.
Provision is also made in this Part of the Act for the removal of buildings which obstruct the access
of light and air to other houses. The Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, empowers the metropolitan
borough councils to order the closing and demolition of individual insanitary houses, a right
of appeal to the Local Government Board being reserved to the owner of the property. The Council
has power to take action in default of a borough council, both as regards obstructive buildings and
closing and demolition orders.
Part III. of the Act of 1890, as extended by the Acts of 1900 and 1909, empowers the Council
to acquire land, either within or without the County, and to provide thereon accommodation for persons
of the working classes, apart altogether from any displacements that may have taken place.
The Act of 1903 provides that where dwellings occupied by 30 or more persons of the working
classes are acquired under statutory powers other than the Housing Acts, e.g., in connection with the
carrying out of public improvements, the dwellings shall not be entered on until the Local Government
Board has approved a scheme for rehousing the persons to be displaced, or has decided that such scheme
is unnecessarv.
Action taken
under Parte
I. and II. of
the Act of
1890.
—- i ■ I Under Parts I. and II. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, the Council has completed
13 schemes involving the displacement of 16,639 persons of the working classes, and in lieu of
the old houses which it has caused to be demolished, has provided new dwellings capable of accommodating
15,010 persons.
Tabardstreet,
etc., scheme.
In the last Annual Report* details were given of the scheme under Part I. of the Act of 1890
with regard to the Tabard-street and Grotto-place areas, Southwark, and the Crosby-row area, Bermondsey,
about 17 acres in all, involving the displacement of 4,552 persons of the working class and
entailing an expenditure of £473,300 gross, £387,700 net.
The inspector appointed by the Local Government Board for the purpose held a local inquiry
into the scheme on 26th, 27th and 28th April and 3rd and 4th May, 1911, and subsequently made a
detailed inspection of the areas in company with representatives of various parties interested.
Arising out of the inquiry, a communication was received from the Board stating that, subject
to certain observations contained in the letter, it proposed to make an Order confirming the scheme.
The Board was satisfied as to the correctness of the official representations in respect of all
the properties comprised therein with only three exceptions, and the Board proposed to modify the
scheme by excluding these three plots from the unhealthy area, and including them as neighbouring
lands, the inclusion of which was necessary for making the scheme efficient. The result was very
satisfactory from the Council's point of view.
The Board decided to accede to an application made by the Council to modify the scheme by
the exclusion of St. Stephen's vicarage, which was erected only a few years ago.
As regards the rehousing accommodation to be provided, the Board expressed the opinion
that in addition to the block dwellings for 2,450 persons proposed to be erected round the open space
which is to be laid out on the Tabard-street area, the Council should provide as many cottages as
could conveniently be erected on the detached portion of the area between Law-street and Little
Hunter-street. In the event of this land being ear-marked for the erection of cottages, the estimate
of the net cost of the scheme would be increased by £8,500, making a net total of £396,200. Although
the Council was still of opinion that its original proposals for rehousing were sufficient, it was recognised
that the question was a debatable one, and in all the circumstances the Council thought it should
not raise any objection to the proposal of the Local Government Board to require a small increase
in the amount of the rehousing accommodation to be provided.
* Annual Report of the Council, 1911, vol. iii., pp. 191-2