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110
Housing.
The difficulties arising from the lack of adequate housing
accommodation, referred to in previous Annual Reports, continued
to prevail, although, perhaps, to a lesser extent.
There is no real overcrowding in the Borough as a whole,
but amongst that class of the population who are unable to pay
an economic rent there is considerable congestion and in some cases
serious overcrowding, especially in the lower Wards of the Borough.
It has been possible to secure a larger measure of housing
accommodation through the London County Council, especially
on the St. Helier Estate, Morden, but this, as pointed out, only
affects the more prosperous elements of the population. Moreover,
in many cases, applicants are unwilling to accept accommodation
outside the Borough because of their desire to reside near their
work.
The negotiations for the purchase of St. John's College, referred
to in the annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1929,
were completed during 1930. Plans and lay-out have been prepared,
but the scheme has to some extent been delayed by
the difficulty raised in connection with the preservation of the
Principal's House, which was considered by the Ministry of Health,
in accordance with the provisions of section 38 of the Housing
Act, 1930, to be a work of architectural, historic or artistic interest.
The Borough Council were anxious to utilise the ground on which
this building stood to the best possible advantage for working
class dwellings, and considerable correspondence passed between
the Ministry and the Council on the subject, the Council being
of the opinion that the retention of this building was of less importance
than the provision of housing accommodation for the working
classes. The old buildings, apart from the Principal's House,
are in course of demolition, and it is hoped that at an early date
the erection of the new buildings will be commenced*. It is
proposed to build two quadrangles and two blocks, each of four
storeys, containing in all some 300 tenements, and provision has
been made for housing families of varying sizes.
Further consideration was given to the purchase of another
site in the Borough on which it would be practicable to provide
for the erection of 96 tenements and this matter is still receiving
the attention of the Council.
* The work on these new tenements was commenced in June, 1931.