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don County Council to provide rehousing accommodation for the
persons displaced by the housing operations of the Council. In
the year 1935 an intensive effort was made to deal with the
insanitary areas in the Borough in conjunction with the London
County Council. Twenty-seven areas were declared by the Camberwell
Borough Council to be clearance areas. One hundred
and ninety-two dwelling houses were involved, occupied by
831 persons. In 1936 a further 18 areas, comprising 140 dwelling
houses, and involving the displacement of 550 persons were
declared. The year 1937 saw a further 9 areas declared as insanitary—89
dwelling houses occupied by 413 persons.
At the end of 1937, a report was submitted, to the Council
informing them that the clearance programme of insanitary
areas mutually agreed upon with the London County Council
had been completed and the Council was asked to review the
question of clearance operations in the Borough, with a view of
sanctioning the preparation of a further insanitary areas programme
involving 125 dwelling houses to be dealt with under the
provisions of Section 25 of the Housing Act, 1936 in the next
five wars.
During 1937, five unhealthy areas, comprising 55 dwelling
houses and involving the displacement of 221 persons were
declared by the Council to be Clearance Areas.
During the years 1934 to 1938, the London County Council
had, in addition to the Borough programme, declared 12 areas as
Clearance Areas. These areas involved 1,111 houses and the
displacement of 5,215 persons. It can be stated without fear of
contradiction that, by 1938, the majority of the slums in Camberwell
had been dealt with. In 1939 the threat of the second
world war prevented further insanitary area activities.
At the end of the war in 1945, housing activities were reviewed
and it was realised that it would not be possible to recommence
the clearance area programme for some years to come. In
1949 the question of the resumption of slum clearance was given
further consideration. As a result of a conference with the
London County Council, a post-war slum clearance scheme for
the next five years was decided upon in 1951. This programme,
however, did not provide for the representation of any areas by
this Council during 1951.
At the end of this five-year programme, operations should
continue until a standard is reached below which a dwelling can
be said to be unfit no longer exists. It is impossible to prepare
a clearance area programme which on completion would dispose
of every unfit house in the Borough.
Sufficiency of Supply of Houses.
Previous to the second world war there was a considerable
body of opinion who held that the London County Council was