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113
The houses in St. Andrew's Place and Wootton Place require to be
considered with the houses in Ethelm Street, as they are situated at
the rear of the Ethelm Street houses on the South and North sides
respectively. In the former (St. Andrew's Place), three only of the
eleven houses are occupied, the remainder having been closed, whilst
in the latter (Wootton Place) four of the eighteen houses have been
closed and demolished. There should be no difficulties in these two
courts or places being dealt with by the Commissioners and others concerned
at once, having regard to the comparatively few houses involved
and the comparatively few tenants who would have to be displaced and
re-housed. The houses could then be demolished and even more
light and ventilation thereby secured for the Ethelm Street houses.
The Medical Officer of Health of the Borough is of opinion that,
in regard to the Victoria Place portion of the area, which it is proposed
by the County Council to deal with, under the Housing of the
Working Classes Act, 1890, Part I, an official representation under
that Act might be made by him as Medical Officer of the Borough
on the ground of narrowness or closeness, or bad arrangement of
the houses and the consequent want of light, air, and ventilation,
despite the fact that the 12 houses which form the Place, with four
exceptions, have recently been put into a reasonable state of repair,
under powers conferred upon the Borough Council by Section 28 of
the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919, to the satisfaction of
the Borough Council's Housing Inspectors. Legal Notices under
this latter Act (Section 28) have already been served by the Borough
Council, through the Town Clerk, in respect of the four houses in
Victoria Place, in connection with which the provisional schedules
have not been complied with.
With regard to Ethelm Street, however, the case is different
Such street could not with equity be made the subject of an official
representation by any Medical Officer of Health under the Housing of
the Working Classes Act, 1890, Part I, as an insanitary area, on the
ground of narrowness or closeness, or bad arrangement of the houses,
and the consequent want of light, air, and ventilation It is really
difficult to understand why this particular street has been included in the
Lambeth alleged insanitary area by the London County Council to be
dealt with as such in a re-construction Scheme. The Ecclesiastical
Commissioners (the owners) would be the first to deny that their
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