View report page

26
Insanitary Areas.—On the 19th March, 1889, a letter was addressed by the
London County Council, requesting your Vestry " to instruct its Medical Officer
of Health and Surveyor to make a special report as to any insanitary areas which
may exist within the limits of its jurisdiction, aud to forward a copy of such
report (accompanied if possible by a plan), to the Council." This letter was
referred to the Sanitary Committee by your Vestry on the 3rd April, 1889, and
the Medical Officer of Health and Chief Surveyor were instructed to furnish a
joint report accordingly. The joint report was furnished, and was received and
approved by your Vestry on the 20th November, 1889, and a copy of the joint
report accompanied by a plan were directed to be forwarded to the London County
Council. This was not an official representation under the Acts, but from time to
time letters were addressed to your Vestry by the County Council urging your
Vestry to take action, and intimating that the Council did not propose to undertake
a scheme under the Artizaus and Labourers Dwellings Acts. Meanwhile
these Acts were repealed and replaced by the Housing of the Working Classes
Act, 1890.
On the 12th July, 1890, a further communication from the Council requesting
to be favoured with any resolution which your Vestry might have arrived with
reference to certain ateas mentioned in the report of 1889, induced me to visit and
review the three principal areas reported upon, and to extend my inspection and
examination, which resulted in making on the 12th February, 1891, the following
official representations under Part 1 of the new Act, direct to the Council in
accordance with statutory procedure.
Sanitary Department,
Vestry Hall, St. Pancras
12th February, 1891.
Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890.—Part 1. Unhealthy Areas.
To the Clerk to the London County Council.
Sir,
Pursuant to Section 4 of the above Act, I beg to make an official
representation that the area of Somers Town, more particularly the portion
situated between Euston Road, Seymour Street, Ossulston Street, and Clarendon
Square, contains houses, courts or alleys unfit for human habitation, and the
narrowness, closeness, and bad arrangement and condition of the streets and
houses, or groups of houses, within such area, and the want of light, air,
ventilation, and proper conveniences, and the presence of other sanitary defects,
are dangerous and injurious to the health of the inhabitants of the buildings in the
said area, and of the neighbouring buildings, and that the evils connected with
such houses, courts and alleys, and the sanitary defects in such area, cannot be
effectually remedied otherwise than by an improvement scheme for the re-arrangement
and re-construction of the streets and houses within such area, or of some of
such streets and houses.
The possibilities of improvement schemes are various, but I would beg to
submit that the Polygon and the square in which it is situated is the only well
opened portion in the district, and there would be space to construct a street from