View report page

60
persons out of 1,300 on the two areas, the Vestry should acquire land elsewhere for
the purpose of constructing new dwellings to re-house at least 800 persons, and
mentioning the following as possible sites:—
1.—A plot of land adjoining the Vestry Hall in Great College Street, which
land belongs to the Vestry, and is now used as a stone yard, is estimated
as being of sufficient extent for the erection of dwellings to accommodate
250 persons.
2.—A piece of land off Cromer Street, and now temporarily used as a stone
yard in connection with the new Electric Railway, is mentioned as a site
large enough fcr buildings to accommodate 150 persons.
3.—A portion of the spare land which forms part of the area known as
"Cubitt's Yard," and on which area Rowton House has been recently
erected.
4.—A small vacant plot situate alongside Purchese Street, and being close to
Aldenham Street, which land is estimated to suffice as a site for the
accommodation of 100 persons.
5.—Equity Buildings (one-storey cottages), with spare land behind, a site close
to the New Midland Buildings, and regarded as of adequate extent to
provide for the accommodation of 250 persons.
6.—A large vacant space at Early Mews, near the north end of Arlington
Road, a site looked upon as suitable for the accommodation of 300 persons.
7.— A stone yard in Great College Street belonging to the Vestry, where there
is supposed to be space for the accommodation of 100 persons.
On the 9th September, 1897, was forwarded to the Local Government Board a
Report approved by your Vestry on the 1st September, in which were pointed out
the following objections to buildings being erected on the suggested sites, and the
opinion expressed that your Vestry ought not to be required to re-house more than
one-third of the population displaced.
(1) The site adjoining the Vestry Hall is the property of the Vestry, and used
as a stone yard. If it ceased to be so used the Vestry would have to
acquire a site elsewhere, if this were possible, and would then, probably,
have to demolish the houses standing on any such site, and displace a still
larger number of persons.
(2) The piece of land off Crorner Street is a site on the south side on which a
number of houses have been demolished by some private individual, and a
considerable number of persons of the same class have already been displaced.
If the Vestry acquire vacant land for constructing Artizans'
Dwellings, by purchasing it of a private individual after it has been cleared
of dwellings occupied by the very class required to be re-housed, that
would be altogether defeating the object of the Housing of the Working
Classes Act.
(3) The land referred to as forming part of Cubitt's Yard is not "spare land,"
but is occupied by large works, the trade interests of which would be far
too valuable to be possible of acquirement at any reasonable cost. As the