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109
delivered in writing to the tenant at the commencement of
the tenancy and before any rent is demanded or collected."
In each case the Committee directed that cautionary letters
were to be sent to the offenders.
Insanitary Areas.
No additional insanitary areas were represented during 1923.
With reference to the Plough Road Insanitary Area, in June,
1922, the Ministry of Health stated that they could not at the time
regard the Council's Improvement Schemes as schemes that could
be approved for purposes of financial assistance, and the matter
was not then proceeded with further.
Subsequently, in January, 1923, the Council again approached
the Ministry, who agreed to permit the Council to go on with the
Plough Road Scheme, it being understood that the Council would
only proceed with a limited part of the area, and that the Ministry
would be prepared to contribute half of the annual loss up to a limit
of £350, if the scheme was proceeded with at once.
The Council, in February, decided to proceed, at the moment,
with the limited part of the area originally represented and asked
the Ministry to hold a Local Enquiry.
On the 4th April, 1923, a Local Enquiry was held on behalf
of the Ministry by Mr. Harry Stewart at the Town Hall.
Before issuing their formal order the Ministry enquired as to
the alternative accommodation which would be necessary for the
persons displaced by the scheme. The Housing Committee were
of the opinion that re-housing should be effected on the site in
buildings not exceeding two storeys, in accordance with the usual
practice of the Council, but that if this was adopted for the Plough
Road Scheme additional accommodation would be required outside
the area of the site. There being no land available for development
in the Borough an effort was made by the Council to obtain the
St. Peter's Hospital site then for sale, which is just outside the
boundaries of the Borough. The London County Council, however,
acquired this site and they were subsequently approached by the
Council with a view to providing the additional accommodation
required to re-house the surplus displaced tenants not capable of
being re-housed on the site. The County Council assented to this,
but attached certain conditions with which the Council were unable
to agree. The Council again approached the Ministry on the subject,
and it was eventually decided that the only feasible way of complying
with the conditions laid down was to provide alternative accommodation
for all displaced tenants on the site itself. This course
meant a revision of the two-storey principle, and eventually the
Council reluctantly decided, as the only practicable solution, to
submit detailed plans and estimates for the erection of three-storey
dwellings on the site.