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Chapter XXXV.
Housing of the Working Classes.
Housing of
the Working
Classes.
The powers of the Council with respect to the housing of the working classes are derived from
the Housing of the Working Classes Acts, 1890 to 1909, and questions relating thereto are considered
by the Housing of the Working Classes Committee.
Part I. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, as amended by the Acts of 1903 and
1909, places upon the Council the duty of preparing and carrying into effect (after confirmation by
the Local Government Board) schemes for the re-arrangement and reconstruction of the streets and
houses within insanitary areas which are of such size as to be of general importance to the whole
county of London. Any scheme for dealing with such an area must provide for the demolition of the
old houses, and the re-arrangement, so far as is necessary for purposes of health, of the streets and
alleys comprised therein, and must also provide for the accommodation of at least half the number
of persons of the working-class displaced, in suitable dwellings, which, unless there are any special
reasons to the contrary, must be situated either on the particular area of displacement or within its
immediate vicinity.
Part II. of the Act empowers the Council and the metropolitan borough councils, either jointly
or separately, to undertake schemes for the re-arrangement and reconstruction of insanitary areas
which are too small to be of general importance to the whole county. In any such schemes it is not
essential that new accommodation for the persons displaced should be provided, but the Local Government
Board may order such provision to be made as may appear to be required by the circumstances.
Provision is also made in this Part of the Act for the removal of buildings which obstruct the acces
of light and air to other houses. The Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, empowers the metropolitan
borough councils to order the closing and demolition of individual insanitary houses, a right
of appeal to the Local Government Board being reserved to the owner of the property. The Council
has power to take action in default of a borough council, both as regards obstructive buildings and
closing and demolition orders.
Part III. of the Act of 1890, as extended by the Acts of 1900 and 1909, empowers the Council
to acquire land, either within or without the county, and to provide thereon accommodation for persons
of the working class, apart altogether from any displacements that may have taken place.
The Act of 1903 provides that where dwellings occupied by 30 or more persons of the workingclass
are acquired under statutory powers other than the Housing Acts, e.g., in connection with the
carrying out of public improvements, etc., the dwellings shall not be entered on until the Local
Government Board has approved a scheme for rehousing the persons to be displaced, or has decided
that such scheme is unnecessary.
The late Metropolitan Board of Works in the exercise of its powers and duties under the Artizans'
and Labourers' Dwellings Improvement Acts, 1875 to 1882, and the Artizans' and Labourers' Dwellings
Acts, 1868 to 1882 (known as Cross's and Torrens' Acts respectively), carried out 16 schemes for the
clearance of insanitary areas in various parts of London at a total net cost of £1,323,370. These areas
comprised about 42 acres, and the displaced working-class population numbered 22,872 persons. It
was the practice of the Board always to cease executive operations with the clearance of areas or the
provision of rehousing sites, and then to offer the land thus prepared to artizans' dwellings trusts and
companies with a view to their erecting and managing the dwellings which had to be built. In this
way rehousing accommodation for 27,180 persons was provided on the several sites. The Board also
initiated schemes for the clearance of six other areas of some 15½ acres in extent, involving the displacement
of 6,188 persons of the working class. When the Council succeeded the Board in March,
1889, the areas had been cleared and efforts were made to follow the previous practice of selling the
building sites subject to the obligation to provide working-class dwellings upon them, but, except
for two small plots of land, without success. The Council therefore determined itself to undertake
the erection and management of the necessary dwellings, and this policy has since been pursued in
every instance. For rehousing the persons of the working class displaced by these latter schemes,
dwellings were erected by the Council on the cleared sites with accommodation for 2,707 persons.
Under the Hughes-fields, Deptford, scheme, accommodation for 240 persons was provided by the
Provident Association.
Under Part I. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, the Council has completed
nine schemes involving the displacement of 14,784 persons of the working class. One of the schemes
was carried into effect with the co-operation of the freeholder, who has repaid the Council the cost
incurred in acquiring the various interests in the property and has erected working-class dwellings
on the cleared site with accommodation for 630 persons. Under Part II. of the Act the Council has
completed four schemes, in each case with the aid of a contribution from the local authority concerned.
The number of persons of the working class displaced was 1,855. For the purpose of rehousing persons
□f the working class displaced in connection with schemes under Parts I. and II. of the Act, the Council
has provided new dwellings capable of accommodating 15,010 persons, (a)
In connecion wit.h the Webber-row,etc Southwark, scheme, which is included in the schemes
Webber, row
etc., scheme.
(a) See Insanitary areat before and after clearance and cost of clearance and rehousing.