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of development provides for the allocation of 176½ acres for the erection of working-class houses and 52
acres for the erection of other houses, an area of 23½ acres unsuitable for building being allocated for
market gardens or allotments. Provision is made for the erection of about 2,056 working-class houses
together with 18 shops and covered and open markets, the division of the land being approximately as
follows:— Sites for dwelling-houses, including gardens, etc., 102 56 acres ; playing fields, 10.25 acres;
tenants' allotments, 23.5 acres; sites for two schools and half adjoining roads, 5 acres; sites for
public buildings, 2.63 acres ; site for shops and market, 2 acres ; central open space, 225 acres; roads,
28.31 acres.
As it was impossible, owing to the necessity for expediting the work, to supply contractors with
the requisite data to enable them to submit lump-sum tenders, the Council decided to entrust the
development of the estate to one firm on a cost plus participating profit basis. Tenders were accordingly
invited from a number of selected firms for the construction of the roads, sewers and bridges, as well as
the erection of the houses to be provided on the estate. The tenderers were invited to state what lump
sum they would require as fee, profit, commission or reward, to include head office expenses, on stated
amounts of expenditure or " actual cost," ranging from £100,000 to £2,500,000. Six tenders were received
and after careful consideration the Council decided on 22nd June, 1920, subject to any modification that
might be required, to accept the offer of Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons, who quoted a "fee" of £125,000 on
the basis of an expenditure of £2,500,000. Tenderers were required to deliver with their tenders schedules
of prices for roads, sewers and houses, to form a basis of arriving at an "estimated net cost" for
comparison with the "actual cost." Any saving of actual cost below estimated cost corrected to suit
actual conditions experienced is to be shared in stated proportions between the Council and the contractors,
and in the case of an excess of actual over estimated cost a deduction is to be made from the
contractors' fee. Messrs. McAlpine's estimate of the cost of four typical cottages, which was the lowest
received, amounted to £4,148 12s. 10d. Their price for a section of roads and sewers comprising onefourth
to one-fifth of the total was £58,867. The order to commence was given on 23rd October, 1920,
and by the end of the year the construction of seven roads had been commenced, some of the sewers
had been laid, and work had been started on some 250 houses, of which 50 were up to first floor level.
It has been decided to light the houses by gas, and terms have been agreed with the South
Suburban Gas Companv for installations, free of cost to the Council.
Grove Park
site.
The Bermondsey and Deptford Metropolitan Eorough Councils put forward to the Minister
of Health a proposal for a joint housing scheme at Grove Park, Lewisham, but at the desire of the Minister
the Council agreed to undertake the scheme, and on 30th March, 1920, made the necessary order for
the compulsory purchase of the site, comprising upwards of 500 acres. The order was confirmed by the
Minister on 12th May, 1920, and about 441 acres have been purchased for £56,000. The plan of
development is under consideration.
On 23rd November, 1920, the Council made an order for the compulsory acquisition of an
additional field of about 14 acres immediately adjoining the south-west corner of the site. This field
contains a considerable deposit of gravel which will be utilised in the development of Bellingham as
well as of the Grove Park site.
Castelnau
site.
On 30th March, 1920, the Council decided, at the suggestion of the Minister of Health, to acquire
an additional site for housing purposes at Castelnau, Barnes, and on 9th November, 1920, it determined
at 50 acres the actual area of the land which, after investigation, it was thought desirable to develop.
The owners of the property have expressed their willingness to sell upon terms to be settled by an
arbitrator.
Tabard
Street, etc.
scheme.
The scheme under Part I. of the Housing Act of 1890, for the clearance of the Tabard-street
and Grotto-place areas, Southwark. and the Crosby-row area, Bermondsey, was confirmed by the
Local Government Board on 13th March, 1912. The areas contained about 17 acres and comprised
875 houses with a population of 4,593. The confirming order requires the provision on the Tabard-street
area of rehousing accommodation for not fewer than 2,580 persons, the accommodation to include not
less than 25 cottages. One block of dwellings, named Chaucer House, with accommodation for 620
persons, has been completed. Becket House, a five storey building to contain 90 tenements with
accommodation for 500 persons, was commenced in 1919, and by the end of 1920 was approaching
completion. On 30th November, 1920, the Council accepted the tender of Walter Lawrence and Son,
Ltd., amounting to £55,678 for the erection of the third section of dwellings, comprising 54 tenements
with accommodation for 300 persons. An electric passenger lift is to be installed as an experiment with
the approval of the Minister of Health. Work on the foundations for this block had been commenced
before the end of 1920. Plans for the remaining blocks of dwellings are being prepared and the
Minister of Health has given the Council authority to demolish the old buildings as required, when the
new accommodation which is being provided becomes available for the persons to be displaced.
An agreement has been entered into with the South Metropolitan Gas Company for the supply
of gas to the new buildings, the fittings, gas cooking stoves and water circulating heaters being provided
free of cost to the Council. In view of the arrangements for heating water by gas it is proposed to
omit boilers from the kitchen ranges in all the dwellings yet to be completed on the area.
An open space of about 5 acres is to be laid out on the Tabard-street area. This will be called
Tabard-garden, and the estate as a whole will be known as the Tabard-garden estate.
The scale of rents to be charged for accommodation in Becket House was fixed by the Council
on 14th December, 1920. The properties in the immediate neighbourhood formed no guide and the
rents of typical tenements in Chaucer House were therefore taken as a basis. To these rents 10 per cent,
was added to correspond with the increase to be permitted in July,'1921, in the case of houses governed by
the provisions of the Increase of Rent, etc. (Restrictions) Act, 1920, and also an amount varying from