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39
Westminster (Dufour's Place, Broadwick Street and Marshall Street)
Compulsory Purchase Order, 1959.
Official representations were made in 1958 for dealing with 17 unfit
houses within a site bounded by Dufour's Place, Broadwick Street and
Marshall Street, in pursuance of the City Council's slum clearance
programme, 1956-60.
The houses were contained in two areas which were declared to be
clearance areas; and on 13th March, 1959, the City Council made a
Compulsory Purchase Order for the acquisition of the properties Nos. 1-6
(consecutive and inclusive) Dufour's Place, 60-74 (even), Broadwick
Street, and 7-13 (consecutive and inclusive), Marshall Street (including
factory premises at the rear of 9-13, Marshall Street). The Order was
cited as the Westminster (Dufour's Place, Broadwick Street and Marshall
Street) Compulsory Purchase Order, 1959, and was submitted- to the
Minister of Housing and Local Government for confirmation.
In September, 1959, the City Council was informed that three
objections had been received by the Minister to the confirmation
by him of the above Compulsory Purchase Order, and that a public local
Inquiry into these objections would be held by the Ministry's Inspector
at the City Hall on the 5th October, 1959, at 10.30 a.m.
Further, the London County Council raised no objection under
Section 30 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, to the
demolition of No. 74, Broadwick Street, the birthplace of William
Blake, painter, poet and mystic. The County Council requested,
however, that the City Council should examine the possibility of
preserving some of the features of architectural interest such as original
doors, staircases and panelling in other properties included in the clearance
area.
Following the public local Inquiry, the Order was confirmed by the
Minister of Housing and Local Government on the 20th June, 1960.
The Minister did, however, modify the Order in one respect, viz.: five
buildings which it was proposed should be acquired, although originally
erected as houses, were excluded from the clearance areas because, in the
opinion of the Minister, the present user in each case is predominantly
business and not residential.
Rent Act, 1957—Certificates of Disrepair
One application for a certificate of disrepair was received during the
year. The conditions at the premises did not justify the issue of a
certificate and the application was accordingly not granted.