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63
Every tenement on the area has a private w.c., with the exception of the 35 tenements in Culham-buildings,
of which 15 are one-room tenements. There are 23 separate blocks of buildings on the area. The
working drawings of the first block were referred to the Manager of Works on 19th March, 1894, those
for the last block on 20th July, 1898. The first half of the area comprises rooms of the following
approximate areas—
Living rooms average 144 square feet.
Bedrooms average 96 square feet.
In the later buildings these sizes were increased as follows—
Living rooms average 160 square feet.
Bedrooms average 110 square feet.
Every habitable room on the area is provided with a 45° angle of light horizontally and vertically.
The buildings are so arranged that nearly every room commands a pleasant outlook. The entrance
avenue and the circus are 60 feet wide, and all the principal streets 50 feet. There are three public
gardens of an aggregate area of nearly ¾ of an acre. There is no washing accommodation in any of
the blocks except two, it being provided in a central laundry containing 42 troughs, 42 drying horses,
3 centrifugal wringing machines, 3 box mangles, and 1 roller mangle. Behind the laundry is a small
annexe containing 12 hot and cold slipper baths and one cold shower-bath, and over the laundry are two
club-rooms for the use of the tenants. Interest and sinking fund upon the capital cost of this laundry
form a charge upon the various buildings. A bakery and an estate workshop are now in course of construction.
During the progress of the re-construction of the estate the cost of building has considerably
increased. The London Building Act, 1894, has increased the thickness of walls, changed the slope of
the roof, &c. From May to July, 1896, the wages of all the skilled trades were increased ½d. per hour,
and this was followed, on 1st June, 1897, by a similar increase in the wages of the labourers. The cost
of materials has risen very considerably, especially bricks, Portland cement, steel joists, slates, lead, and
zinc. Further increases are to be anticipated from the Employers' Liability Act and the new drainage
by-laws (when passed). The buildings have as a whole been designed within the financial requirements
of the Treasury, the interest on the capital being calculated at 3 per cent., and the sinking fund for land
and buildings for terms varying from 52 to 60 years.
The whole of the buildings on the estate will, it is expected, be completed early in 1900.
Churchway, St. Pancras—The purchase of the property in this area was proceeded with
during the year. In October it was decided to apply for a modification of the scheme so as to
allow of the closing of Wellesley-street, and the formation thereby of a convenient site for the
erection of dwellings. The Council also approved an estimate of £250 for preliminary expenses
in connection with the preparation of plans for dwellings on this area.
Clare-market, Strand—In this area also the acquirement of the property was proceeded with.
In July, 1B98, the Council resolved to apply to Parliament for powers to construct a new
street and branch streets, 100 feet wide, from Holborn to the Strand. Referring to the rehousing
of persons of the labouring class to be displaced, the Improvements Committee reported as
follows—
A most important question which can never be dissociated from any large improvement scheme is
that of the re-housing of the perions of the labouring class to be displaced.
A part of the district, in the line of the new street, consists of insanitary courts and alleys ; in
fact, some of the worst in London, with houses only fit to be pulled down. The clearance of these
must result in an incalculable amount of good. Perhaps the worst of them are those in the vicinity of
Clare-street, Stanhope-street, and White Hart-street, and as we have already shown, these are now being
dealt with by the Council, under the powers conferred by the Housing Acts, the areas having been
formally represented as unhealthy areas by the medical officer of health for the district.
The formation of the new thoroughfare and the subsidiary streets now proposed will displace about
3,030 persons of the labouring class, in addition to those displaced from the Clare-market area. We
understand that in connection with the Clare-market re-housing scheme, accommodation is to be
provided in the immediate locality for 750 persons, but no account can be taken of that accommodation
in considering the question of re-housing the 3,030 persons to be displaced by the new street. Of these
3,030 persons about 500 (including in each case the families of the workmen) are dependent upon
occupations in the immediate locality, involving exceptional hours, i.e., early attendance in the morning
and late attendance at night. These persons must be accommodated on the cleared land adjacent
to the improvement, but this can be done without erecting any artisans' dwellings immediately on
the frontage of the new street, a contingency which it is very desirable to avoid, as we think the
Council should secure as much recoupment as possible in respect of the valuable frontages to the
street. About 410 persons are dependent upon employment in the locality not involving exceptional
hours, and suitable accommodation for these persons and also for 840 more, i.e., about 1.250 in all, may
be provided on the Millbank site, now in the possession of the Council. With regard to the remaining
1,280 persons, equivalent accommodation may be provided in a convenient locality elsewhere. The
net cost of providing land in this way for the erection of dwellings to accommodate the 3,030 persons to.be
displaced is estimated at £150,000.
This amount is in excess of the estimate included in our scheme of 1896, as it is not now possible
to obtain certain land upon which we had proposed to provide accommodation for a number of persons.
We may state that if the Home Secretary should consent to a reduction in the number of persons to
be re-housed in the immediate neighbourhood of ,the new street, the estimate would be correspondingly
reduced.
We may mention that the Millbank site will accommodate about 4,400 persons of the labouring
class. A portion of the site has been appropriated for the housing of 1,500 persons to be displaced
by the Clare-market scheme. There remains, therefore, sufficient land to accommodate about 2,900
persons. The cost of appropriating land adjacent to the new street for the purpose of providing
accommodation would be more than thirty times greater than if land at Millbank were utilised for the
purpose.
We feel certain that the Council will be prepared to do everything in its power to avoid the inconvenience
and loss which may result to the labouring population now housed under such unhealthy
conditions in the district between Holborn and the Strand.
Having given these facts and figures and made these suggestions, we feel that the important question
of the mode of re-housing the persons to be displaced is one for the consideration of the Housing
Committee, and eventually of the Home Secretary who will be asked in due course to sanction the
scheme for re-housing. (The proposals for re-housing, involving a net expenditure of £250,000 to
£300,000, are more fully dealt with in the subsequent report of the Improvements Committee.)
Upon this report the Housing of the Working Classes Committee reported, and expressed
the opinion that provision should be made by scheme for rehousing within a mile of their
residences all those persons of the labouring class who would be displaced by the formation of the