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88
Swaffield House.
The Council were asked early in 1920 by the Wandsworth
Borough Council if they would be willing to take joint action to
convert certain buildings, comprising two huts and one casual
ward, situated at the rear of Swaffield Road Institution, in the
Borough of Wandsworth, for dwelling purposes.
Subsequently the Wandsworth Council withdrew, and the
Council decided to proceed with the matter separately, and
secured the lease of the two huts at a rental of £10 per annum,
exclusive of rates, insurance, electric light, gas, or the provision
of fences.
After protracted negotiations with the Housing Board,
permission for the scheme to be proceeded with was eventually
given, and work was commenced by the Council's Works
Department in December, 1920, and completed in March,
1921. The cost of the scheme amounted to £3,673 9s. 1d.
The scheme provided by the conversion of these two huts
comprised 12 tenements—8 three-roomed, and 4 four-roomed
tenements. The rents fixed were 14s. 6d. and 17s. 6d. for the
three-roomed and four-roomed tenements respectively. These
tenements were allocated to the most necessitous cases (i.e., to
persons living in overcrowded or other insanitary conditions).
The tenements, while not ideal or even, under ordinary circumstances,
suitable dwellings for the working-classes, were
for temporary accommodation habitable and reasonably
comfortable.
Heathwall Street
The vacant piece of ground at Heathwall Street was
utilised for the erection of 3 houses, each house consisting of
two self-contained flats. Each flat contains three rooms, a
scullery and bath-room. The provisional rents were fixed at
15s. 6d. pier week. The erection of these tenements was also
carried out by the Council's Works Department, and the work
was commenced in March, 1921, and finished in September,
1921
The estimated cost of this scheme, which the Ministry
of Health were prepared to sanction, was £5,100, averaging
£850 per tenement. The Council, on the recommendation of
the Housing Committee, decided to provide additional
amenities, which raised the estimated cost to £5,700, averaging
£950 per tenement, this additional expenditure not
ranking for assistance. The actual cost of the scheme when
completed was, however, £5,034 17s. 2d., and was, therefore,
below the estimate sanctioned by the Ministry.