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115
avoid offensive smell from the accumulation of droppings. In Gray's Inn, where
there are two flocks of the birds, less nuisance is noticed but occasional complaints
are made relating to pigeon dung on the window sills.
The number of pigeons in the Borough has increased in the past five years,
and although there is a sentimental interest in the birds which would preclude
their complete extermination, it might be desirable to take some step to prevent
further increase in the numbers, or even to lessen the number.
The matter has been brought to the notice of the Ministry of Health, the
London County Council, and the Metropolitan Borough Standing Joint Committee,
and the question of legislation to deal with it is under consideration.
HOUSING.
In 1919 the housing survey established the need in the Borough for sufficient
dwellings to rehouse about 200 persons who were about to be displaced by the
clearance of the Wild Street area by the Incorporated Society for Improving the
Condition of the Labouring Classes. The Society has provided this housing
accommodation on a site purchased from the Council, where a block of dwellings
with 37 tenements has been erected.
Owing to the extreme difficulty of finding alternative accommodation it has not
been found possible to deal with more than a few cases of overcrowding during
the year.
One of the most unsatisfactory features with regard to housing in the district
is the presence of so many houses let in lodgings. These houses were not built for
the purpose to which they are now put: the using of the staircases, water supply,
washhouses, yards, waterclosets, ashbins, etc., in common leads to misuse and
neglect; the tenants suffer much inconvenience in carrying out their ordinary
housework. In most of the houses there is no suitable provision for the storage
of food and cooking. The structure of these houses is in many cases satisfactory;
the conversion into self-contained tenements would much improve the
accommodation.
During the year 880 houses occupied by the working classes were inspected;
this number consisted of 577 registered lodging houses and 303 non-registered
houses occupied by working classes. The total number of buildings in the Borough
occupied for dwelling purposes is given by the Census, 1921, as 3,473. The
number of tenements occupied by working classes as returned to the London
County Council is 8,571. This figure represents the total tenements in the
Borough consisting of one, two, three or four rooms.
Betterton Strcei Small Housing Scheme.
The Housing of the Working Classes Committee have from time to time
considered a number of schemes for the construction of houses for the working
classes, but owing to the high cost of land in the Borough most of these have
been found impracticable.
The Committee were of opinion that useful improvements might be effected
by the acquisition of unsatisfactory, old and worn houses, and their reconstruction
pr demolition and rebuilding.
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