London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Holborn 1903

Report for the year 1903 of the Medical Officer of Health

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state of affairs arising, the County Council would be able to earmark any housing accommodation
they might be authorised to provide, and which had not been set apart for other purposes with a
view of rehousing the population to be displaced from the Warner Street area. We accordingly
appointed a deputation, consisting of our Chairman and Vice-Chairman and Councillor Hazell, J.P.,
and the Medical Officer of Health to wait upon the Housing of the Working Classes Committee of
the London County Council upon the subject; we have to-day received from the deputation a
report of what took place at the interview, from which we gather that the deputation, who were
most courteously received, had a sympathetic hearing and were promised that their representations
should receive most serious consideration, and that a reply would be sent as soon as any decision
had been arrived at."
The area has received much attention from this Department during the year in the endeavour
to maintain it in as sanitary condition as is possible without altering the structural defects and bad
arrangement of the houses, which could only be done by an improvement scheme or by rebuilding.
In January, 1903, the Council agreed to the registration of the houses let in lodgings in the
area under Section 94 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
UNION BUILDINGS AREA.
Aylesbury Place, Clerkenwell, and Union Buildings, Holborn Improvement Scheme, 1899.
After local enquiry in the year 1900, a Provisional Order was made by one of Her Majesty's
Principal Secretaries of State, and an Act confirming the Provisional Order was afterwards passed.
During the year 1903, Nos. 18, 19, 20 and 21, Yerulam Street, were closed after representation
under Part 11. of the Act; Nos. 15, 16and 17, which had been demolished were rebuilt;
Nos 5, 6, 7 and 8, Providence Place were closed; Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 13, Portpool Lane, were closed;
No. 6, Half Moon Court, was closed, and Nos. 3, 6, 7, and the Cow Shed, Union Buildings, were
closed.
Under Part 11. of the Act.
Under Part 11. of the Act, Section 30, the following were represented as unhealthy dwelling
houses: —
11, verulam Street.
20 and 21, Great Queen Street.
1, 2 and 3, Queen's Place.
9, Betterton Street.
Closing orders were obtained for Nos., 20 and 21, Great Queen Street, and Nos. 1, 2 and 3,
Queen's Place. No. 9, Betterton Street was closed, demolished and rebuilt without further action being
necessary, and No. 11, verulam Street, was renovated and made fit for human habitation, and the
summons after being adjourned on two occasions was then withdrawn.
Under Part 111. of the Act,
REID'S BREWERY SITE.
The Reid's Brewery site was purchased by the London County Council for the erection of
working-class lodging houses for 1,681 of the 3,700 persons of the working classes that will be
displaced by the new Holborn to the Strand street (Kingsway).
During 1903, Ledam and Bourne Buildings, blocks B and A, were completed, and the erection
of buildings on the Clerkenwell Road and Leather Lane frontages of the area was begun.