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39
as soon as the property came into their possession. Until subsequent
to the War, no restriction operated, nor did any liability attach to Estate
Companies, conducting operations of this nature, to make any Provision
for rehousing the working classes displaced.
In this way, during the past 30 years, some 18,000 Chelsea inhabitant,
chiefly of the working and small trader class, have been displaced and
compelled to migrate into surrounding districts.
Despite the difficulties of the problem, in Chelsea a considerable amount
of accommodation had been provided for the working classes during the
years preceding the outbreak of War. This had been effected
municipal undertakings by private enterprise and by the operation of
benevolent agencies and trusts.
Municipal undertakings for the housing of the working classes carried
out by the Borough Council prior to 1914 were as follows :—
Population-
Sir Thomas More Buildings, Beaufort Street 770
Pond House, Pond Place 130
Onslow Dwellings, Pond Place 380
Grove Buildings, Manor Street 300
1,580
Private enterprise, benevolent agencies and trusts had also made
very important contributions to housing in Chelsea prior to 1914. These
were as follows :—
Population.
Sutton Model Dwellings, Cale Street 2,200
Lewis Trust Dwellings, Ixworth Place 1,390
Marlborough Buildings, Walton Street 500
Guinness Buildings, Draycott Avenue 940
Peabody Buildings, Lawrence Street 200
Chelsea Park Dwellings, King's Road 170
Beauclere Buildings, College Place 45
5,445
It will be seen that in Chelsea at the outbreak of war there was available
accommodation for over 7,000 persons of the wage-earning class-an
amount which, in proportion to population, was considerably higher
than that obtaining in any other metropolitan borough.
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. 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