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50
The dwellings controlled by the Committee comprise
(а) Goldington Buildings, Great College Street (57 flats) ;
(b) Flaxman Terrace, near Euston Road (84 flats);
(c) Prospect Terrace, Gray's Inn Road (71 flats) ;
(d) Una House, Prince of Wales Road (65 fiats) ; and
(e) The Brookfleld Estate, Highgate (110 flats, 90 maisonettes and 2 houses).
The vacancies occurring in these dwellings are few in number, and for which there is
a long waiting list. It has been necessary to utilise such empties as have occurred to assist in
the Somers Town Housing Scheme by a system of transfers. Before the proposed flats on the
Wolcot Street area are built, empty possession of eleven houses on the site has to be obtained,
and the task of providing accommodation for the several families is a difficult one.
Somers Town Housing. Wolcot Sirekt Area.
The Borough Council's scheme for the clearance of this slum area and the erection of
four blocks of working-class dwellings on the site has been under reconsideration.
The Order of the Minister of Health sanctioning this housing scheme is dated
2nd May, 1925, although negotiations in respect thereof date back years earlier. It is
provided that no State financial assistance will be afforded. The plans were approved and
sealed in September, 1925, and all steps have been taken to acquire the various interests in the
property required at a cost of £19,000.
Tenders were invited by the Council from prominent firms for the erection of the
buildings, but, as the lowest tender received was considerably in excess of the original
estimate of the cost, it was decided to obtain fresh tenders.
The amount of the lowest tender received as a result of the first, tendering was
£52,860, and the lowest tender in the second tendering was £49,894. The Council accepted
this latter tender, and application was made to the London County Council for sanction to the
borrowing of a loan to cover the cost of buildings, fees and charges. Their Finance
Committee were not prepared to sanction the loan as they considered the cost too high, and
conferences were held to see whether any reductions could be made. It was agreed that the
scheme was more expensive than a normal housing scheme, because of exceptional factors.
Certain modifications were made which reduced the amount of the building tender bv about
£15,000 to £47,014.
The County Council, however, would not sanction a loan even at the reduced figure, on
the ground that the cost of erecting the dwellings would exceed £270 a room and would
result in an annual deficiency of about £1,750 during a period of 60 years.
From the Borough Council's point of view this was regarded as unsatisfactory, because
thev were anxious and pledged to proceed with the erection of the dwellings. They
considered they had done all that could be reasonably expected of them in reducing building
costs, and were prepared to accept the responsibility of the annual financial loss referred (o.
They appealed to the Minister of Health to assist in obtaining sanction to the borrowing of
the amount required to enable them to proceed with the scheme in accordance with the Order.
After negotiations, the Ministry advised that the Council's Architect should prepare
fresh plans for a more economical scheme of building, to be drawn up in consultation with the
Ministry's Architect.