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111
SECTION D
Housing
In no other field of Local Government is it necessary to look
so far ahead and plan accordingly than in housing. Much criticism
has been levelled by the moderns at the architects and
builders of the 19th century when, under severe pressure exerted
by the industrial revolution, they became responsible for the urban
areas which are now subject to re-planning and re-building. In
those days the sudden and pressing demand for housing was met
by impulsive design and hurried construction, neither actions
being conducive to a satisfactory outcome. Similar pressures are
beginning to show themselves to-day and it is conceivable that
similar mistakes may now be made, sufficient to warrant similar
scathing criticism in future years. Most problems tend to be more
easily solved with a little "hind-sight" so it would be wise to
consider all re-planning schemes on their respective merits and
not to adopt them merely because they happen to be modern.
For instance, it was only a few years ago when multi-storey flats
were hailed as the answer to the housing problem, not only on
the grounds of providing high density resettlement but also on
those of finance. To-day, even the Town and Country Planning
Association, although acknowledging the need for higher population
density in many areas, is suggesting to the Ministry of Housing
and Local Government that this should not necessarily result
in "high rise" building. They are, in fact, advocating the age-old
psychologically sound idea that families should occupy houses
with gardens wherever possible and, where this is not possible,
then blocks of flats no higher than 3 or 4 storeys, at which height,
building costs are little more than for ordinary houses.
Considerable ingenuity must be displayed by local authorities
in their housing activities, especially in respect of the needs of
elderly people. Old people are intolerant of an upheavel such as
re-housing represents to them—they become frustrated and confused.
It often involves moving to completely new areas away
from life-long friends, social activities and environment and all
the efforts of welfare authorities and voluntary organisations cannot
replace these losses. Generally the re-housing of the elderly
involves the allocation of smaller accommodation and makes the
disposal of furniture and, often, of personal treasures, a necessity
Even here one often finds that there is now no "rag and bone"
man to help in such circumstances—like other small traders who
used to perform many of the menial tasks he has been "planned"
out of the neighbourhood.