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Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1950 23
standard and beyond reconditioning. In 1930 and the years following
the Medical Officer of Health made representations under
Section 1 of the Housing Act (1930) in respect of several of these
areas. In its five-year programme, also drafted in 1930, the Housing
Committee, under Alderman Henry Prince, made provision
for 524 flats to rehouse the persons displaced from the unhealthy
areas. The economic crisis of 1931 caused some modification of
these plans, one of the largest of which concerned the Saxby Street
Area.
The Saxby Street Area: This large area of 105 houses in
Clapham South (old ward) was originally represented on 5th
March, 1930, under the Housing Act, 1925. Four hundred and
seventy-six persons in 123 families were involved, but it was not
possible for the Council to develop the area at that time. A further
representation was made on 1st December, 1937, under the Housing
Act, 1936, and the area was declared a Clearance Area on 22nd
March, 1938. Progress was halted by the outbreak of the Second
World War and by 1950 64 of the 93 "red" houses were still
occupied.
The North Street (Clapham) Area, comprising 27 houses, was
represented in October, 1930, and declared a Clearance Area in
January, 1931. The site was cleared by 1932 and developed by
the Council. Besides the scheduled areas, 13 unhealthy houses in
Salvador Street, Tooting, were also cleared in 1930 and the Granada
cinema arose on their site.
Eight areas of varying sizes were represented in January and
February, 1931, and declared Clearance Areas in the following
May. They ranged from Great Acre Court Area, in Clapham South,
with 20 houses, to the Carter's Yard Area, of Southfields, with
three houses. Seventy-seven houses were included in all, mostly
on small sites which were developed by the owners after clearance.
In 1933 action was initiated in respect of three main areas.
The Greyhound Square and Barrow Road Areas, together comprising
41 houses in Streatham, were represented on 2nd and 31st
October. They were declared Clearance Areas on 23rd January,
1934, and the Public Enquiry was held on 23rd March, 1934. The
sites were cleared in 1937 and the Council afterwards developed
them. The Felsham Road area of Putney, comprising 61 houses,
was also represented on 31st October, 1933, and declared a Clearance
Area on 23rd January, 1934. The Council afterwards developed
the site which was cleared by 1937.
The Wandsworth Plain Area: The largest group yet represented
was the Wandsworth Plain Area, of Southfields (i9t November,
1933). It included 98 dwellings and was declared a Clearance Area
at the same time as the Felsham Road Area. The site was clear
by 1938 and blocks of Council flats have succeeded the original
properties. Other sites in 1932 and 1933 were cleared by the owners,
new houses and maisonettes replacing the former dwellings, 14
in all.