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shortly. On account of the procrastination in the voluntary closing of the houses in
Eyre Court and Eyre Terrace, the Housing of the Working Classes Committee
instructed me to represent those houses under Part II. of the Act, and the summonses
were heard on the 4th April, 1905. After viewing the houses the Magistrate only
made closing orders for Nos. 1 and 2, Eyre Terrace and stated that in his opinion Eyre
Court generally might be dealt with as an unhealthy area and that as Nos. 7 and 8,
Summers Street were then unoccupied, closing orders for those houses were unnecessary.
On the 11th October, 1905, the Council adopted a report of the Housing of the
Working Classes Committee recommending:—
(a) That the Town Clerk be instructed to address a communication to the
Local Government Board informing them of the various steps taken for dealing
with the area from the representation to the present time, and requesting the
Local Government Board, having regard to the failure of the freeholders to
proceed with the development of the property, to direct a local enquiry to be
held in accordance with Section 10 of The Housing of the Working Classes
Act, 1890.
(b) That the Town Clerk be instructed to address a communication to the
London County Council pointing out that, although over four years have
elapsed since the official representation was made, and notwithstanding the
promises of the freeholders to develop the property, the area is still practically
in the same condition, and urging the London County Council to reconsider
their decision and proceed with the preparation of a scheme for dealing with
the area.
I may add that the Local Government Board have now, in a letter of the 24th
April, 1906, informed the Council that they have decided that they must direct a
local enquiry to be held and that the enquiry will take place as soon as the
arrangements of the Board's Inspectors will permit.
UNION BUILDINGS AREA.
Aylesbury Place, Clebkenwell, and Union Buildings, Holbobn, Impbovement
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.
By the end of the year 1905, the majority of the houses in the area had been
closed, and the demolition had been begun, and by March, 1906, the demolition of the
whole area was practically completed.
The plans for the new buildings to be erected have been prepared and approved.