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40
Since the war, the economic situation and other factors, particularly
the shortage of and greatly increased cost of building land in Chelsea
have rendered an already difficult situation still more difficult. No
new dwellings have been erected by private enterprise, benevolent agencies
or trusts. The Housing Committee of the Borough Council has been
Actively engaged in investigating possible sites in connection with further
Housing Schemes and from time to time various schemes have been
formulated by the Council and submitted to the Ministry of Health for
Approval. The World's End Passage Improvement Scheme, 1927,
is referred to elsewhere. Of the remaining schemes prepared and submitted
to the Ministry, three have fortunately materialised, approval
of the others not being obtained on the ground that the cost of the land
Was much higher than the price the Ministry could sanction for the
Purchase of land to be used for the erection of buildings to house the
forking classes. One scheme—that of Hortensia Road —was completed
in May, 1925, and the buildings are now fully occupied. The remaining
two schemes are in course of development. Details of each scheme
are as follows :—
(1) Hortensia House, Hortensia Road.
This group of buildings, comprising an area of 1 acre, 12 poles, provides
accommodation for 250 persons in 56 flats, namely 35 three-room
and 21 four-room flats. The total cost of the site and buildings was
£48,970. The total weekly rents, including hot water supply and electricity,
vary from 25s. to £1 14s. 3d. This scale of rents was drawn up
on an economic basis, on the instructions of the Ministry of Health,
the Ministry's decision being based upon the high cost of the site and
construction. Such rents are obviously much higher than the working
classes proper can afford to pay and indeed most of the tenants are
classes in receipt of small salaries or earnings—a group not usually
included under the term " working classes."
(2) Wimsett Nursery Site Scheme.
This site comprises an area of 1 acre. 3 roods and 28½ poles, situted
towards the western extremity of the Borough and bounded by King's
Road, Edith Grove and Tadema Road. It was purchased by the Borough
Council in 1928 at a cost of £19,000. An additional small plot of land,
29¾ poles in extent, situated at the north-west corner of the site and
necessary for the purposes of the Scheme, was subsequently purchased
by the Borough Council at a cost of £4,000, of which the Guinness Trust
contributed £2.000.
With the consent of the Minister of Health, the Borough Council
has leased the site to the Guinness Trust for a term of 99 years at a nominal
rent and the Trust has agreed to erect working-class dwellings thereon,
Preference as to tenancies to be given (a.) to persons residing in Chelsea
and (b.) to persons employed in Chelsea. Plans for the buildings have
been approved by the Borough Council, the London County Council
and the Ministry of Health. They provide for the erection of four blocks
of flats of five stories high, comprising a total of 160 flats, of which 41
contain four rooms, 78 three rooms, 40 two rooms, and one is a one-room
flat. Each flat will have, in addition a scullery, bathroom and lavatory.