View report page

97
The remaining residential portion, consisting of 7.2 acres and bounded
by Golborne Road, Kensal Road and railway, is being redeveloped by the
Greater London Council. Work continued during the year to provide 281
flats on this site. Adjoining this area to the north, the Greater London
Council are to provide an open space of approximately 3.5 acres, part of
which is in the City of Westminster.
Lancaster Road (West) Area
This area lies on the western boundary of the borough, south of the
metropolitan railway line from Latimer Road Station. It originally
contained approximately 455 houses, 15 factories, 140 shops, 6 licensed
premises and 11 other business premises in an area of 27 acres.
The whole area is being dealt with in four stages, and during 1969,
following a Public Inquiry, a Compulsory Purchase Order was confirmed by
the Minister of Housing and Local Government in respect of the final
stage.
The Council are now acquiring all the properties in the area and by the
end of the year 488 families had been rehoused. Demolition of the properties
in the first stage of the area commenced during the year and it is anticipated
that approximately 7 acres will have been cleared of buildings by the end of
1970.
Linked with this Lancaster Road (West) redevelopment area is the
Blechynden Street Area, situated north-west of the metropolitan railway line.
This area is being redeveloped by the Greater London Council and by the end
of the year, 114 flats had been completed of the total of 342 flats which are
to be provided on this twelve-acre site.
GENERAL IMPROVEMENT AREA
Section 28 of Housing Act, 1969 defines a General Improvement Area as
one where the living conditions ought to be improved by the improvement of
the amenities of the area or of dwellings therein or both and that such an
improvement may be effected or assisted by the exercise of the Local
Authority's powers under this Act.
The area bounded by Talbot Road on the north, Ledbury Road on the east,
all properties in Lonsdale Road (other than the Portobello Court Estate) on
the south and Portobello Road on the west was declared a General Improvement
Area by the Council on 28th October, 1969.
The area contains 302 properties of which 265 are used for habitation.
There is in addition a school building and two modern blocks which are owned
by the Council and which contain 20 self-contained flats.
The 302 properties can be divided into three main types. First the
properties in Portobello Road, Talbot Road and part of Ledbury Road which have
a business use on the ground floor and the upper part occupied for living
purposes or suitable for such occupation. Secondly, the large, substantial
and valuable properties consisting of basement and four or five storeys such
as are found in Colville Square, Colville Gardens, Powis Square and Colville
Terrace. Thirdly, the three-storied and basement terraced properties in
Lonsdale Road which are not so substantial as the previous type but still
seem to be worth preserving.
All the properties in the area are being surveyed and every endeavour
is being made to persuade owners to improve their properties, if possible
by converting them into self-contained flats with the aid of the increased
grants which are payable under the Housing Act, 1969.