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tenders to be invited. On the 8th October the committee reported that a tender of £7,2G9 had
been accepted for construction of the first part of the roads and sewers on section A, and that the
work was in progress, and on the 22nd October the Council accepted a tender of £11,184 12s. 9d.
for three rows of cottages, subject to the contractors undertaking the erection of the remaining
cottages on section A at the same schedule of prices.
White Hart-lane estate.—On the 2Gth February the Housing of the Working Classes Committee
presented to the Council a report on as estate at Tottenham, situated about G miles from
London. This estate consists of two portions, the larger of 179 acres fronting Lordship-lane, and
the smaller of about 46 acres is approached by a narrow road from White Hart-lane. The Committee
proposed that the Council should purchase this estate at a cost of £400 per acre, and
tentatively reported as follows—
We have considered the means to be adopted for the development of the estate, and have had
exhaustive reports from the officers on this point. As we have already stated, the owners of the estate
are prepared to accept a low figure for the land, subject to the Council acquiring the whole estate.
After careful consideration it appears to us that the northern site, which is less suitable for immediate
development than the southern site, should not be dealt with until the southern site has been
developed. The architect informs us that it could be developed to accommodate 2,460 persons in 1,029
cottages. The valuer also states that every house built and occupied on the southern site will tend to
render the northern site not only more suitable for development but also more valuable. The scheme
of development, therefore, which we have had before us deals only with the southern site, comprising
179 acres. This scheme is only tentatively submitted in order that the Council may come to a
conclusion as to the practicability generally of developing the land for the purpose of cottage dwellings,
and it should be understood that it will probably be necessary to deviate from it somewhat in the
future. Full particulars of any alteration will be given in due course. The particulars of the present
scheme are as follows—
Accommodation for 33,000 persons will be provided in 4,750 self-contained two-storey cottages,
and 2,000 more will be provided for in tenements over shops. The cottages will be of various
classes, and each cottage will have its own garden. The number of persons to be placed on the site
will not crowd the land unduly. The depths of the various cottage plots will be generally greater
than the by-laws of the local authorities require, and forecourts will in all cases be provided. The
frontages to the main roads are very suitable for shops, and about 10½ acres of land will be given
up to this purpose, upon which about 250 shops will be erected, and from these a considerable
income could probably be obtained should the Council decide itself to build the shops. It will be
necessary to widen Lordship-lane for the construction of the proposed tramway, and the shop plots
have been made of sufficient depth to allow of this being done.
Access to the site will be given by eight roads leading from Lordship-lane, Snakes-lane and
Hatherley-road on the south, three from Church-lane on the east, eight from White Hart-lane
on the north, and provision will be made upon the other boundaries for future continuation of the
roads should opportunity arise. The principal roads providing thoroughfares over the site, both
east and west, and north and south, are 50 feet wide, with trees on each side, and the majority of
the remaining roads are 40 feet wide, with the exception of those within the district of Wood-green,
which are in all cases 50 feet wide as required by the Urban District Council.
It is proposed to take advantage of the river Moselle which runs through the eastern portion
of the estate and some slightly rising ground upon its bank, which is difficult to build on, to
arrange a public garden of about two acres and a quarter, with the river flowing through it. Four
other smaller gardens will be arranged on other parts of the site, which will help to preserve the
healthiness of the estate. The parish church at Tottenham and the churchyard are very
picturesque, and effective use will therefore be made of them in laying out the estate.
The total accommodation that can be provided on both sites is 42,500 persons in 5,779 cottages.
The estimated cost of erecting the cottages on the south side only, providing the roads, gardens
sewers, diversion of the river Moselle, etc., and provision of shops is £1,530,858. On the other hand
the estimated sum available after allowing for the cost of the land, interest and sinking fund charges
and all outgoings is £1,521,800, or a deficiency of £9,058. The difference represents only three-fifths
per cent. on the total estimate. We may point out that two per cent. of the estimated gross rental
has been set aside in the estimate under the heading of contingencies, and a very small saving under
this heading will convert the deficiency into a surplus.
The standing order No. 336 (1)—(4) requiring that there shall be no charge on the county rate in
respect of the erection of working-class dwellings applies only to schemes or areas dealt with under
Parts I. and II. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, and does not affect schemes under
Part III. of the Act, but standing order No. 336 (5) relates to Part III. and only requires that the Finance
Committee shall simultaneously report with us on the estimated financial effect of a Part III. scheme,
and this will be done in the present instance. It may be mentioned that on 6th December, 1898, the
Council by resolution approved of action being taken under Part III. of the Act, provided that no
charge be placed on the county rate thereby.
The amount of the estimate, which has been forwarded to the Finance Committee, and which the
Council will be asked to approve, is £91,500. This includes the value of the land, the agent's fee, and
all expenses connected with the sale and purchase of the land. The sale of the estate is subject to the
condition that the Council shall take over the land subject to the existing tenancies and tithe. The
gross rental received from the agricultural tenants on the estate is stated to be £500 per annum. The
tithe and tithe rent charge amount to £65 17s. 11d. per annum normal, the value in 1899 being £43 19s.
per annum.
The Council decided to purchase this estate, and an estimate of £91,500 was approved
for this purpose.
Reid's Brewery site.—Progress was made in the development of the Reid's Brewery site,
which had been purchased to provide accommodation for persons of the working class displaced
in connection with the Holborn to Strand street improvement scheme. In February the Housing
of the Working Classes Committee reported as follows on the way in which it was proposed to
utilise the site—
We have had under consideration plans for the development of the Reid's Brewery site, Clerkenwell,
which was acquired by the Council for the provision of accommodation for persons to be
displaced by the formation of the new street from Holborn to the Strand. The site has frontages to
Clerkenwell-road, Leather-lane, Portpool-lane and Gray's Inn-road. The plan which we have approved
and which has also received the approval of the Secretary of State provides for the erection of fivestorey
block dwellings all round the site except on the frontage to Gray's Inn-road, where the existing
buildings will remain for the present. These dwellings will be pierced with six archways up to the