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A communication was subsequently received from the Local Government
Board asking for the observations of your Council on these proposals, and, on
the 24th April, 1912, the Local Government Board were informed that your
Council had already acquainted the Midland Railway Company with the fact
that they would not raise any objection to their proposals provided that in the
matter of rehousing or otherwise in regard to the Chapel Grove and Eastnor
Place areas your Council's position was not prejudiced thereby.
In Chapel Grove it is suggested that the eight houses, Nos. 2 to 10, 18, and
20, Chapel Grove, and No. 2, Chapel Mews (now called Clark's Yard), which
are now shut in by stabling and other buildings, should be removed and the
sites converted into open paved yards. The remaining houses will then have
better air space back and front.
At Eastnor Place it is suggested to pull down Nos. 1 to 6, Ossulston Place,
so as to open up back and front Nos. :i to 6, Eastnor Place, and also to pull
down Nos. 7 to 10, 16 to 18, 24 and 25, Eastnor Place.
Of the houses which it is suggested should be pulled down, eight were found
to be vacant in July last. At the same time a detail'd inspection was made by
the Midland Railway Company to ascertain what other vacant suitable
accommodation there was in and immediately surrounding the above areas,
when there were found over 70 houses in whole or part vacant, and containing
some 225 vacant rooms.
Seymour Row. (South Side). In February, 1911. the London and NorthWestern
Railway Company voluntarily ceased to let the houses on the south
side of Seymour Row, Seymour Street, as dwelling-houses, namely, numbers
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 13, 15, 17, 19. No. 11 was excepted because it was found to be
in a better sanitary condition than the rest, and the tenant had properly so
maintained it for many years.
UNDERGROUND ROOMS.
Underground Dwellings.—These are controlled under the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, Sections 96, 97, and 98.
Underground Sleeping Rooms.—These are now controllable under Regulations
to be made by your Council under the Housing and Town Planning Act, 1909,
Section 17 (7), and your Council adopted the following draft Regulations on
the 13th December, 1911:—
Regulations as to Underground Rooms habitually used as
sleeping places.
Whereas by Section 17 of the Housing, Town Planning, &c., Act., 1909, it
is enacted as follows: —
Sub-Section 7. A room habitually used as a sleeping place, the surface of
the floor of which is more than three feet below the surface of the part of the
street adjoining or nearest to the room, shall for the purposes of this section
be deemed to be a dwelling house so dangerous or injurious to health as to be
unfit for human habitation, if the room either—