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Housing of the Working Classes.
During 1897 the following steps were taken under the Housing of the Working Classes Act—
Schemes undertaken by the Council under Part I. of the Act.
Boundary-street, Bethnal-green—Further progress was made in the work of erecting block
dwellings on this area and the following buildings came into occupation during the year—Hurleybuildings
with accommodation for 50 persons, Sandford for 50, Henley and Walton for 700, Marlow
for 258, Shiplake for 212, Taplow for 250, Sunbury for 390, and Chertsey for 108 persons. The
erection of the following buildings was commenced—Iffley for 90 persons at a cost of £4,205, Clifton
for 404 persons at a cost of £17,251, and Molesey for 124 persons at a cost of £5,040 10s. Plans
for the remaining blocks were approved.
Churchway, St. Pancras—The provisional order sanctioning this scheme was received in
January, 1897, and the confirming bill passed through Parliament in due course. The acquirement of
the property was being proceeded wit h at the close of the year.
Clare-marlcet, Strand—In the case of this area also the necessary parliamentary powers were
obtained during the year and it was then possible to proceed with the acquirement of the property.
Trafalgar-road, Greenwich—During the year plans for two-storey cottages to be erected on the
Trafalgar-road site, Greenwich, were prepared. This site had been cleared under Lord Cross's Act.
Schemes undertaken by the Council with contributions by district authorities.
Ann-street, Poplar—During the year the plans of dwellings which the East End Dwellings
Company proposed to erect upon this site were under the consideration of the Local Government
Board, the Council, and the company.
Falcon-court, Southwark—The arrangements for rehousing in connection with this scheme were
proceeded with. Plans showing accommodation for 300 persons upon the Borough-road site were
prepared, and it was decided to purchase a further piece of land in Green-street and Pocock-street,
Southwark, in order to make sufficient provision to meet the rehousing requirements of the scheme.
The order sanctioning the Falcon-court scheme was not made during 1897, but at the close of the year
the Local Government Board intimated that they would proceed to issue an order sanctioning the
scheme.
Mill-lane, Deptford—A local inquiry as to a proposed modification of this scheme, involving
reduction of the number of persons to be rehoused to 300 so as to admit of the erection of cottage
dwellings instead of blocks of buildings, was held by an inspector of the Local Government Board in
July. The Board subsequently intimated its willingness to reduce the number to be accommodated on
the area to 272, subject to provision being made by the Council upon other sites in the neighbourhood
for the remaining 278 persons required to be rehoused under the original scheme.
Schemes undertaken by district authorities with contributions by the Council.
Brantome-place and Propert-terrace, St. Pancras—The local inquiries regarding these areas
were held in March. The Local Government Board expressed the opinion that sites outside the areas
of the schemes should be acquired with a view to making provision for rehousing a number of persons
larger than the number it was practicable to rehouse on the areas themselves as contemplated by the
vestry. The opening up of this question led to delay in carrying out these schemes.
Fulford-street and Braddon-street, Rotherhithe—A local inquiry with regard to this area was
held in July. Subsequently a draft order, sanctioning the scheme on condition that accommodation
for 240 persons should be provided on the area and for 310 persons on another site or sites in the
neighbourhood, was received.
King John's-court, Limehouse—An inquiry as to this area was held in November. The scheme
provides for the demolition of two courts and the erection of cottages on the cleared area. The total
cost is estimated at £16,300.
Moira-place and Plumbers'-place, Shoreditch—This scheme is being carried out by the Shoreditch
Vestry with a contribution by the Council of £27,500. The roads required under the scheme had not
been completed up to the end of the year. Plans for the erection of artizans' dwellings were approved.
Other proceedings under the Housing of the Working Classes Act.
The blocks of dwellings, the erection of which had been commenced in March, 1896, upon the
Green-street and Gun-street sites, purchased by the Council under Part III. of the Housing of the
Working Classes Act from the Vestry of St. George-the-Martyr, Southwark, were during 1897
completed and opened.
The work of laying out the Millbank site, purchased by the Council under Part III. of the Act,
was proceeded with in accordance with the plan adopted by the Council at the end of 1896.
A representation was made by the medical officer of health of Clerkenwell witli regard to an
area situated in the neighbourhood of St. John's-square, Clerkenwell. The representation with regard
to this Aylesbury-place area, as it was termed, was under the consideration of the Housing of the
Working Classes Committee at the close of the year.
Bell-lane area, Whitechapel—The following report of the Housing of the Working Classes
Committee, presented to the Council in February, 1897, shows the steps that have been taken with
respect to this area—
The attention of the Council has been directed from time to time to an insanitary area in Whitechapel,
known as the Bell-lane area. This area formed the subject of a representation under the Artizans' Dwelling
Acts in 1877, but no scheme was framed by the Metropolitan Board of Works for dealing with it, and
after careful consideration of the matter in 1890 we informed the Council that we were unable to see our
way to recommend the adoption of so large a scheme as would be involved in the widening of Bell-lane
and Sandy's-row, combined with clearance of the central area. The Council subsequently resolved to
widen Sandy's-row which partly bounded the represented area on the west side as a street improvement—
and this has to a small extent improved the condition of the area. We are now glad to be able to report
that an opportunity presents itself of making a clearance of all the courts and alleys on that part of the