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92
(b) Number of closing orders made—
As regards the whole house 12
„ underground rooms (4 rooms) 3
15
(c) Number of dwelling-houses in regard to which
closing orders were determined Nil.
(5) (a) Number of demolition orders made Nil.
(b) „ houses demolished in pursuance of
demolition orders Nil.
(6) Number of dwelling houses demolished voluntarily Nil.
(7) Obstructive Buildings. Representations, demolitions, &c. Nil.
(8) No staff is engaged exclusively on housing work. The 11 district
inspectors carry out all inspections of houses, and the subsequent
clerical work is performed by the general clerical staff. A large amount
of negotiation and other work in connection with housing has devolved
upon Mr. A. Powel Coke, Chief Clerk in the Public Health Department
and Clerk of the Special (Housing) Committee, and the following section
in regard to the work of that Committee has been compiled by him.
WORK OF THE SPECIAL (HOUSING) COMMITTEE.
The housing problem presents different features in every Borough. So far
as St. Pancras is concerned, although there is vacant land in the North of the
Borough suitable for housing schemes, the important problem is the improvement
of housing accommodation in the old areas of the district. The evils
of the tenement house system are well known. The chief difficulty in dealing
with it is the vast size of the problem. The greater part of the housing in
the Borough is involved in it, but in more limited areas the evils have become
predominantly worse by reason of the houses having become more or less
worn out by age or usage. On the other hand, there is an urgent and imperative
demand for increased housing accommodation. The Borough Council are
earnestly endeavouring to meet both these aspects of the problem, and on the
27th November, 1918, the Special (Housing) Committee was appointed.
The Committee directed its attention mainly to the following matters:—
(1) The erection of new dwellings under Part III. of the 1890 Act.
(2) The conversion of vacant houses into suitable dwellings.
(3) The question of insanitary areas.
(1) Construction Schemes.
Jhookfield Estate.—The Council purchased about 9 acres of vacant land on
the Brookfield Estate, off Highgate Road, for the purpose of providing
additional accommodation. The scheme when completed will house 202
families and the buildings will take the form of flats, maisonettes and single
houses. The detailed accommodation is as follows:—
5, of Two rooms, exclusive of scullery. &c.
71, „ Three „ „
43, „ Four „ „
83, „ Five „ „