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51
Houses Let in Lodgings.
After considerable correspondence with the Local Government
Board, the By-laws governing houses let in lodgings or occupied by
more than one family were eventually approved, but not to the
satisfaction of the Council, who desired greater discretionary power
than the By-laws permit. In one particular these By-laws differ from
any others made by local authorities, and that is as regards the rent
limit imposed. The circumstances of the City render it necessary that
the limit of exemption should be high in the more central parts, and
thus a lodging house is not exempted from the operation of these
By-laws unless the rent or charge payable by the lodger is exclusive
of furniture, 15s. per week or upwards, inclusive of furniture, 18s. per
week and upwards.
The amount of cubic space required to be provided for each person
is based on an extremely low standard, viz., 300 cubic feet for each
person over ten years, for a room used exclusively as a sleeping
compartment; 400 cubic feet where the room is not used exclusively
as a sleeping compartment. For children under ten years of age the
allowance is 200 cubic feet per head. Many complaints of overcrowding
are received, which on investigation are found not to be so when judged
by the above, standard. It is evident that from the point of view of
the public the Local Government Board standard is too low, and this is
also shown by the scale adopted by the various authorities dealing with
the provision of tenement houses.
Housing of the Working Classes.
The Council's scheme of building three blocks of dwellings in
Regency Street has made good progress, and the buildings will be ready
for occupation early in 1904. At the request of the Housing Committee
I prepared the following report on the number of persons who may
occupy these buildings:—
"In accordance with your instructions of the 22nd June that I
should report on the number of persons who may be allowed to occupy
the tenements in Regency Street, I now beg to lay before you the
following particulars.
" I have applied. to the London County Council, the Peabody
Trustees, and the Guinness Trustees, and have been favoured with the
scales in operation in the Buildings under their control. I have made
a summary of these replies, and have also stated the cubic space
allowed by the By-laws for Houses let in Lodgings:—
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