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Fulham.— The Public Health Committee of the borough council had under consideration
plans prepared by the borough surveyor for a block of buildings proposed to be built on the land
belonging to the borough council in Townmead.road, on a portion of which the electric light
station, dust destructor and disinfecting station have been erected, but no decision has as yet
been arrived at.
Chelsea.— The borough council decided in 1901 to acquire, at a cost of £13,350, the
reversionary interest of Onslow.dwellings, and in 1902 acquired the leasehold interest for the
sum of £5,000. These dwellings came into the possession of the borough council in 1903. No
further special expenditure was required beyond the cost of supplying seventy.two kitchen
ranges. During 1903 the borough council acquired, for £2,300, the freehold interest of six
houses in Pond.place, included in the leasehold of Onslow.dwellings. The area of the land
covered by these houses and their curtilages is 8,500 square feet. Sub.leases for these houses
expire before the end of 1909. Contracts for the erection of dwellings on the Beaufort.street
site at a cost of £53,756 were made in 1902, the cost per room being £92. Considerable progress
was made in 1903 in the erection of the buildings.
Westminster.— The erection of three blocks of dwellings in Regency.street has made good
progress, and it was expected the buildings would be ready for occupation early in 1904. The
medical officer of health reported on the number of persons who might properly occupy them, this
number being 688 persons over ten years of age and 1,541 under ten years of age, or 2,229 in
all.
St. Marylebone.— Mr. Wynter Blyth states that no progress has been made in dealing
with the Devonshire.place and Burne.street areas, but that Queen.street.buildings have been
opened on the Portman estate, and a large block of dwellings will be erected in the district of
Grove End.road on the Howard de Wahlen estate.
Hampstead.— Dr. Littlejohn refers to the representation he made as to the Kilburn.lane
area, and states that the Secretary of State had invited the observations of the borough council
on the decision of the County Council not to make a scheme for the improvement of this area
under Part I. of the Act. He gives account of proceedings under Part II., in respect of King's
College.mews East, which ended in certain works of improvement being effected, and in respect
of the Silver.street area, the houses of which were individually represented under Part II., and
which he thought might be dealt with by scheme. The borough council were in communication
with the County Council on this subject.
St. Pancras.— Dr. Sykes states, in respect of area No. 1 (Somers Town area), that
the houses in the part of the area west of Charlton.street and north of Drummond.
street.lane were dealt with individually some years ago under the Public Health Act.
In the case of the Chapel.grove scheme and Euston.place scheme plans and estimates
were prepared by the Public Health Committee, but referred back for the purpose
of report whether it would not be advantageous to let the sites to industrial
or other dwellings companies for the erection of working.class dwellings. In respect
of the Prospect.terrace and Brantome.place scheme agreement was come to with the Skinners'
Company, as the governors of Tonbridge School, to whom the site of Brantome.place belonged;
the opposition of the company being withdrawn, the order of the Local Government Board was
confirmed in February, 1904. The foundation of working.class dwellings on the Great College.
street site was laid in 1902, and the work was proceeding towards completion at the end of 1903.
Hackney.— Reference is made to the closing of cottages in Priory.place, off Wall.street,
under the Housing of the Working Classes Act.
Holborn.— Dr. Bond states that since the Eyre.street area (Italian colony) was represented
five houses in Eyre.street.hill have been replaced by warehouses and three other houses closed
as inhabited houses and used entirely for the manufacture of ice.cream. He gives account of
the progress made by the County Council in dealing with the Union.buildings area and the
building on the Bourne estate and Herbrand.street sites, of the closure of seven houses under
Part II. of the Act, and of numerous houses in the borough voluntarily demolished, rebuilt, etc.
Finsbury.— Dr. Newman shows the result of representations he made to the owners of groups
of insanitary houses in the borough referred to in his preceding report. Twelve houses on an
area near Sermon.lane were demolished. Houses in Caroline.place and Kemp.place, Bakers.row,
were much improved. The houses in Providence.place, Bakers.row, ten in number, were
demolished. The houses in Eastern.place, out of Eastern.street, were much improved. A square
of property bounded by York.road, Lever.street, and Hull.street, with courts in the interior,
were also dealt with. It was arranged that the whole property should be rebuilt in two or three
years, and the internal courts were demolished in 1903. In the above proceedings 33 houses were
demolished and 186 persons were displaced, of whom 60 found accommodation in the borough
and 73 elsewhere, mostly in the vicinity. The annual report also contains information of the
number of houses closed and persons displaced in the borough in 1903; these included 59 houses
and 593 persons by the County Council in connection with schemes under the Act; 21 houses and
133 persons by the action of the borough council, and 81 houses and 623 persons for
commercial reasons, street widening, etc., making in all 161 houses and 1,349 persons. Of 758
persons displaced as the result of the action of the borough council or on account of houses being
closed owing to street improvements, commercial invasion, etc., 391 found accommodation in
Finsbury, 280 removed outside the borough, and 87 were not traced. Dr. Newman also gives
account of the progress made in dealing with areas for which the County Council has made
schemes.
Shoreditch.— Twenty houses were closed as the result of sanitary notices and numerous
houses occupied by the working classes were also closed, mostly for the erection of warehouses.
Dr. Bryett estimates that some 600 persons will thus be displaced.