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92
The Housing Committee has continued to give the fullest consideration
to the housing question in the Borough and on Saturday,
the 4th of April, 1936, they visited certain of the Mews dwellings and
other premises. Mews dwellings, of which there are about 400 in
the Borough, present a special problem.
In my opinion, viewed from modern day standards the Mews
dwellings visited did not provide adequate and satisfactory accommodation
for the working classes. To a greater or lesser degree Mews
dwellings have the following defects in common:—(1) Lack of
through ventilation and inadequate lighting of rooms in rear of
building. They are in principle "back-to-back" in so far as in most
instances they have no "right of lights (2) There is no yard space
in which babies and young children may be placed, whilst the mews
in which the elder children play is always a constant danger; (3)
Inadequate, or in some cases complete absence of, accommodation for
washing clothes; (4) These dwellings are situated over garages from
which poisonous fumes are constantly permeating through perished
or cracked lath and plaster partitions which constitute the ceilings,
and lightly constructed staircases; (5) They are approached by steep,
narrow, unventilated and inadequately lighted staircases; (6) The
landing, which is usually ill-ventilated and ill-lighted, is used for purposes
of cooking, and the w.c. also often opens on to this landing.
Progress in respect of dealing with the worst of the mews' dwellings
in the Borough is however, unfortunately, for the time being at
any rate, held up until alternative suitable accommodation can be
offered to the mews-dwellers.
Underground Rooms.
Inspector Rowley, a recently appointed Sanitary Inspector, was
detailed to make an inspection of underground rooms in the Borough
in order to ascertain if they complied with the requirements relating
to such dwellings. This officer commenced his duties on 1st of September,
and as a result of his inspections, coupled with, information
supplied by the other Sanitary Inspectors, a Register of Underground
Rooms is being compiled.