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47
Accommodation provided in the Borough by Housing Associations.
(a) The Kensington Housing Trust own 2 freehold houses, 51 leasehold houses, and 187 flats.
Of these, a block of 80 flats was built on about one acre of the large Dalgamo Gardens site acquired
by the council; the land is leased to the Trust at a peppercorn rent for 999 years. During 1936,
5 premises in West Row, acquired compulsorily under the Housing Act, 1930, were demolished and
the Trust have erected 30 flats on the site. These flats were ready for occupation at the end of the
year. In addition the Trust have acquired privately some old houses in Bramley Road, and at the
end of the year had demolished them and were erecting 40 working class flats.
(b) The Wilsham Housing Trust own 75 single family houses, 66 self-contained flats, and 54
houses let in lodgings.
(c) The Improved Tenements Association own 304 houses in Kensington, and hold ground rents
in respect of 31 houses. During 1936, the Association prepared a scheme to erect 16 flats on the cleared
site of the Tabernacle Terrace clearance area.
(d) Several smaller housing associations such as the Aubrey Trust and Horace Street Trust,
closely associated in management with the Wilsham Trust, own 39 houses and 14 flats. The Aubrey
Trust have approached the borough council with a scheme for building 50 working class flats on the
site of the Heathfield Street and Portland Road compulsory purchase order, referred to on page 39.
1 (e) In 1929 the Sutton Trustees acquired a large building site of about 8 acres in Dalgarno
Gardens, and built 540 flats. During 1934 a further 101 flats were erected on approximately one acre
of land adjoining the original site.
(f) About 5 acres of the ground at Dalgarno Gardens acquired by the borough council was leased
in 1933 to the Peabody Donation Fund at a nominal rent, on condition that the Peabody Trustees
erected working class flats for Kensington people. During 1934 a block of 142 flats was completed
and at the end of 1936 a further 128 flats were ready for occupation.
(g) The Gas Light and Coke Company have, during the year, erected 68 flats on ground owned
by them at the northern end of Ladbroke Grove and, subject to subsidy being paid in respect of
these flats, the company have agreed to accept tenants nominated by the council.
(h) The council approved a scheme whereby the Church Army should erect 24 maisonettes on
the site of the Silvester Mews clearance area. At the end of the year these flats were in the course
of erection, and they will be ready for occupation during 1937.
All the property referred to above is for the purpose of accommodating Kensington workingclass
families. The various property managers concerned work in close co-operation with the
borough council's officers in the task of rehousing families from condemned houses, unfit basements
and overcrowded homes.
This very large amount of housing accommodation, totalling approximately 1,620 houses or
flats in North Kensington, under the control of enlightened management, is available for the
working-class population of the borough, and is a very important factor in the considerable improvement
which has taken place in the housing conditions of Kensington.
Central System of Hot Water Supply in New Flats.
The Kensington Housing Trust when building their block of 80 flats on the Dalgarno Gardens
site in October, 1934, installed a system of central hot water supply whereby each flat is constantly
supplied with hot water from robot boilers contained in a separate boiler house. The average
weekly cost to the Trust per flat is about Is. 7d., whilst the tenants are charged amounts varying
from Is. to Is. 6d. per week according to the size of the flat.
In July, 1936, the borough council considered the advisability of providing a similar system in
their new flats to be erected on the South Row and Great Western Terrace site. It was estimated
that the rents of these flats would, if this system were installed, be increased by an average amount
of approximately 2s. 2|d. per week. Whilst there are certain factors which detract from the
desirability of providing a central hot water system, the council decided that in the new South
Row and Great Western Terrace flats they would make provision for such a system.
Estimate of Total Rehousing Accommodation required in Kensington.
During the year the council considered the question of the amount of new accommodation
which will be required to deal with the clearance areas, unfit basements and overcrowding still
awaiting attention.

Experience has shown (i) that a proportion of the basement dwellings will be made lit by the
owners and will be available for rehousing, and (ii) that a number of families prefer to find their
own accommodation rather than to accept that offered by the council. It was considered that a
reasonable allowance to make under (i) is 8 per cent, or 114 of the 1,425 basements affected, and