View report page

Areas of Improvement
Where action under the 1957 and 1961 Acts was being concentrated in areas, these were
designated as 'areas of improvement', as distinct from 'improvement areas' as defined in the
1964 Housing Act. This method of working was economical in inspectors' time and minimised
antagonism on the part of owners who, were their houses to be separately dealt with, would
feel that they had been unfairly singled out. In addition to the areas referred to last year,
the following areas received attention:
Thornhill Square - 64 houses.
Granville Square - 43 houses.
In addition a number of areas were at an advanced stage of survey at the year end.
Tenement Blocks
As reported last year, all tenement blocks were classified into three groups:
1. those which had been brought up to reasonable modern standards;
2. those which appear capable of and worth being improved to those standards:
3. those for which the only satisfactory treatment would be demolition (whether or not
immediately practicable).
This grouping was agreed at officer level between the Greater London Council and the
London Borough of Islington, and subsequently ratified by both Authorities.
In general, the London Borough of Islington would have the responsibility of securing
improvement of those blocks classified within Group 2. There are, however, two exceptions
to this. First, a number of blocks which are capable of improvement will, in fact, not be
improved as their life expectancy is affected by various road, school and housing development
proposals. Second, the Greater London Council have acquired or are acquiring the following
blocks in this group:
Alsen Mansions, Alsen Road.
Northampton Buildings, Rosoman Street.
Springfield Court, Coldbath Square
Highbury Mansions, Upper Street.
Premier Buildings, Waterloo Terrace.
As the owners of these blocks they will themselves be responsible for their improvement.
The responsibility for dealing with tenements within Group 3 in divided between the
Greater London Council and the London Borough of Islington. The London Borough of Islington
will deal with 981 dwellings, not in the slum clearance programme, plus 295 which are in the
slum clearance programme. The Greater London Council will deal with 793 dwellings, not in the
slum clearance programme and 473 which are in the slum clearance programme.
Four tenement blocks were surveyed in connection with the preparation of possible
improvement schemes. In three cases it was decided that the blocks were not worth improving
(Bartholomew Buildings, Pickering Street Dwellings, Dibden Street Dwellings) and these blocks
were included in Category 3. In the fourth case, Liverpool Buildings, the survey was overtaken
by events when the site of this block was affected by the proposed North Cross Route.
51