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87
houses. The second closing order concerned numbers
61 and 63, Aspenlea Road. These premises which
comprised a number of tenements, with a large common
yard in the centre, were found in a very bad sanitary
condition and much dilapidated. The inhabitants of
this yard were mainly Italians, who made ice-cream in
small lock-up premises under the tenements in which
they lived. Notices were served upon the owner in
September, 1922, under Section 28 of the Housing,
Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919. The owner served a
counter-notice that the premises were incapable, without
reconstruction, of being made fit for human habitation,
and declaring his intention of closing the premises for
human habitation. The Council accepted this Closing
Order on the 29th November, 1922. The District
Surveyor, who had previously inspected the premises,
then served notices under the London Building Act,
certifying the structure as dangerous, and the whole
yard was consequently demolished about the end of
the year. Eleven families were turned out. Nine
succeeded in finding other accommodation, while two
families went into the Workhouse.
The third Closing Order was made in 1924 and
concerned a little group of houses facing the old Walham
Green and known as Nos. 1 and 3, Jerdan Place, and
4, 6, 10, 12 and 14, Vanston Place. Those in Vanston
Place were rather picturesque old-fashioned cottages,
built at the time when the surrounding land was open
country. Year by year the property had deteriorated;
it had been scheduled eventually by the District
Surveyor as a dangerous structure and the Council,
although regretting the action from many points of
view, were reluctantly compelled to make a Closing
Order and evict the tenants. The property was
subsequently demolished upon the order of the District
Surveyor.
There were no fewer than 40 persons inhabiting
these seven houses ; 17 of them were eventually able
to obtain alternative accommodation, but as a last
resort the Council were compelled to purchase two