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41
purchased by the Borough Council towards the end of 1928 at a cost of
£19,000.
With the consent of the Minister of Health, the Borough Council has
leased the site to the Peabody Trust for a term of 99 years at a nominal
rent and the Trust has agreed to erect working-class dwellings thereon,
in accordance with plans to be approved by the Borough Council, the
London County Council and the Ministry of Health.
Reviewing the history of the past 30 years, it would appear tnat the
housing policy of the Borough Council has been firstly to preserve,
where possible, in areas threatened with demolition, such working class
accommodation as was of reasonably good type ; and secondly, to provide
accommodation by means of new buildings in an accessible situation
within the Borough for those persons of the working class who are average
representatives of their class, and for whom the necessities of their trade
or calling render residence within the Borough desirable or necessary.
It cannot be disputed that at the present time in Chelsea, as in other
Metropolitan Boroughs, there is considerable dearth of accommodation
both for the working classes and for the classes in receipt of small salaries
or earnings, and that, as elsewhere, this situation is primarily due to the
restrictions imposed upon the building trades during the war and the
economic disturbances which have succeeded it.
It will, however, be evident from the details already given that the
existing shortage of housing accommodation in Chelsea is being most
adequately dealt with and that the extremely difficult problems which
confronted the Borough Council subsequent to the war are gradually
being overcome. In this connection the invaluable services rendered
by the former Mayor (Mr. Alderman C. B. Clapcott, O.B.E.), and the
recent Chairman of the Housing Committee (Mr. Councillor E. B.
Baggallay) will always be remembered with appreciation in the municipality.
Overcrowding.—Overcrowding, where it exists, is mainly confined
to the western district of the Borough. There has been some little
improvement in its prevalence during the year. Many of the cases
when approached as to the desirability of having their names submitted
to the County Council, with a view to provision of housing on one of
the Council's Estates, decline to consider the proposition, on the ground
that the distance of the County Council's Estates from their work is
too great. Others have become attached to the district and will not
contemplate forsaking existing interests and associations. Owing to
the extreme difficulty of finding alternative accommodation it has not
been found possible to deal with more than a proportion of the cases of
overcrowding during the year. Whenever possible, arrangements are
made with the London County Council for the provision of a house for
the overcrowded family. Seven such families obtained accommodation
on the Council's Estates during the year. Further, when vacant tenements
become available in the Borough Council's dwellings preferential
treatment is as far as possible given to cases of overcrowding. With
a view to preventing a recurrence.of overcrowding in premises which
are being vacated because of their overcrowded condition, a cautionary