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45
Demolition.
During the year the houses in the following Clearance Areas
were demolished under the powers conferred by the Housing Act,
1930 :—-
Hewling Street.
Leonards Place.
Selsea Place.
Rochester Place.
Mason's Court.
Mason's Place.
At the beginning of October the tenants from these areas who
accepted alternative accommodation in the new Council flats at
Lordship Road were moved at the Council's expense. In order to
obviate the introduction of vermin into the new flats, all furniture
was fumigated with hydrogen cyanide gas by arrangement with a
firm specialising in the technique of this work as used in connection
with slum clearance removals. At the same time it was considered
advisable that mattresses, blankets, etc., brought from the houses
in the clearance areas, should be treated by steam disinfection at
the Council's disinfecting Station.
Sufficiency of Houses.
There is a definite shortage of houses at reasonable rents for
the lower wage earners, and the London County Council Estates on
the outskirts of London are beyond the means of the majority of
applicants for housing accommodation, as the additional expense
of travelling to and from work is prohibitive. In addition many
applicants do not wish to dissociate themselves from their usual
environment and customary modes of life, and thus there appears
to be an increasing need for housing a larger number of families
locally.
Stoke Newington is fully built on and any sites for rehousing
purposes would only be available by demolishing existing premises