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passages, and staircases. Twenty-seven had damp walls, arising from
driving rain through unpointed walls, defective gutters, and rain-water
pipes, or dampness rising from the ground. Seventy-five had defects in
the roofs allowing rain to pass into the upper rooms. Thirty had
dilapidated washhouses, many being unusable in wet weather. In 34
of the houses there were defects of one sort or another connected with the
W.C.'s. In a majority of the houses the roof gutters and rain-water pipes
were worn out or defective. In 32 of the houses the tenants stated that
there were bugs in one or more rooms, continual warfare against them
being necessary to keep them in abeyance.
I communicated with the owners of these houses early in July, 1919,
and since that time a great deal has been done to carry out the necessary
repairs and cleansing. A re-inspection of the houses will be made shortly
to ascertain how far the insanitary conditions have been rectified.
There can be no question that for the past 5 years owners of property
of this class have been much hampered by difficulties in connection with
labour and repairing materials, and these difficulties are not yet at an end.
World's End Passage Area.
This area comprises World's End Passage (43 houses, 6 unoccupied),
Davis-place (4 houses), Lacland-cottages (8 houses), Lacland-place (2
houses), Jackson's-buildings (5 houses, 2 unoccupied), and Foundryplace
(15 houses). The population at present is about 450.
In my opinion this area will have eventually to be dealt with by means
of an "Improvement Scheme" under the Housing of the Working Classes
Act, 1890, Part I., Section 4, owing to the narrowness, closeness, bad
arrangement, and bad condition of the streets and houses, or groups of
houses within such area, the want of light, air, ventilation and proper
conveniences, and other sanitary defects, the evils connected with this
area being incapable of effectual remedy otherwise than by an Improvement
Scheme under the Housing Act of 1890.
As required by the Ministry of Health, I have reported to the Ministry
that this area will eventually have to be dealt with under an Improvement
scheme; but there is no object in making an official representation at the
present time, as it is impossible to re-house the 450 inhabitants who would
be displaced by the clearance.
By-Laws for Houses let in Lodgings.
Under Section 26 of the Housing and Town Planning Act, 1919, the
London County Council is required to make By-laws for houses occupied
by the working classes, which are let in lodgings or occupied by members
of more than one family. These By-laws will be enforced by the Borough
Councils. The By-laws will require provision adequate for the use of, and
readily accessible to each family of:—1. closet accommodation; 2. water
supply and washing accommodation; 3. accommodation for the storage,
preparation and cooking of food. Where necessary separate accommodation
for every part of the house, which is occupied as a separate
dwelling, must be provided.
The new By-laws have not yet been made by the London County
Council,