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103
Housing.
During 1925 the work of the Council in regard to housing
matters has been mainly directed towards securing the repair of
insanitary houses—either under the Housing Act or Public Health
(London) Act, 1891. The results of the systematic inspections
under the provisions of the Housing (Inspection of District) Regulations
will be found set out on pp. 109-13, from which it will be seen
that much useful work in this direction has been accomplished. In
addition progress was made with the Plough Road Improvement
Scheme.
It cannot be said that the housing situation in Battersea during
1925 has been materially relieved. There is still in many areas
of the Borough serious overcrowding, reference to which has been
made in previous annual reports. So far as Battersea is concerned,
relief from this insanitary and otherwise undesirable state of affairs
can only be obtained by the provision of sufficient housing accommodation
outside the Borough, and at rents which are within the
financial resources of those most needing dwellings. Although some
progress has been made by the London County Council and other
Metropolitan Authorities in the building of houses, the demand
is still largely in excess of the supply. It is to be feared, therefore,
that until more ambitious housing schemes have been launched,
and less regard is paid to the question of economic rents, the appalling
conditions under which numbers of Battersea families are now
living will remain unabated.
During the five years 1921-1925 the question of over-crowding
has been dealt with in the annual reports of the Medical Officer of
Health, and in April, 1923, a Special Report was presented to the
Council (vide Appendix p. 115).
In the survey of housing requirements in Battersea made in
1919 to meet to some extent the unsatisfactory conditions prevailing.
the Council secured all available building sites in the Borough, and
during the quinquennium the following working-class dwelling
accommodation has been provided:—
Situation. Tenements.
Swaffield House (Wandsworth Borough) (converted
buildings) 12
Heathwall Street 6
Latchmere Estate Extension 52
Savona Street 4
Disused Fire Station, Chatham Road 12
In addition to the accommodation provided by the Council,
90 new houses were erected by private enterprise as follows:—
Situation. Houses or Flats.
Battersea Rise Estate 60
Sudbrooke Road 9
Roseneath Road 3
Ethelburga Street 1
Ramsden Road 4
Nightingale Lane 4
Battersea Rise 4
Upper Tooting Park 3
Grandison Road 2