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226
Annual Report of the London County Council.
CHAPTER XXX VI.
HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES.
Powers and
duties of the
Council.
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 classes 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 access 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 classes, 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 working
classes are acquired under statutory powers other than the Housing Acts, e.g., in connection with the
carrying out of public improvements, 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.
Action taken
under Parts
I. and II. of
the Act of
1890.
Under Parts I. and II. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, the Council has
completed 13 schemes involving the displacement of 16,639 persons of the working classes, and in
lieu of the old houses which it has caused to be demolished, has provided new dwellings capable of
accommodating 15,010 persons.
Tabardstreet,
etc.
scheme.
The Council is at present carrying out another large scheme under Part 1. of the Act of 1890, known
as the Tabard-street, Grotto-place and Crosby-row (Southwark and Bermondsey) Scheme, 1910, which
provides for the clearance of three distinct areas comprising altogether about 17 acres. The Order of
the Local Government Board confirming the scheme was issued on 13th March, 1912. The scheme
involves the displacement of 4,552 persons of the working classes, and the confirming order requires
the provision on the Tabard-street area of dwelling accommodation for not less than 2,580 persons,
including not less than twenty-five cottages to be erected on the detached portion of the area between
Law-street and Little Hunter-street. The Board approves of the Council itself undertaking the
erection of the necessary dwellings. Such accommodation for the storage of barrows has to be provided
by the Council on the Tabard-street area as may, in the opinion of the Board, be required for the
use of street traders displaced by the execution of the scheme. St. Stephen's Vicarage has, in
accordance with the Council's request, been excluded from the scheme. Two plots of vacant land
abutting on Long-lane and Sterry-street respectively, and the premises known as No. 23, Chapelplace,
have been removed from the category of insanitary property and included in the scheme as
neighbouring lands required for making the scheme efficient.
The Order provides for the clearance of the three areas being carried out in five sections, the new
dwellings on one section having to be completed before any displacement is permitted from a further
section. By this means it will be possible, except in the case of the first section of the Tabard-street
area, to provide new accommodation for the inhabitants before they need remove from their old
homes. It is provided that a portion of the Tabard-street area, not less than five acres in extent,
shall be laid out and maintained as an open space, and the Order applies the provisions of the Open
Spaces Act, 1906, to such land as if the land had been provided by the Council under the provisions
of that Act. The effect of this will be that the cost of acquiring the land will be a charge against
the scheme and that the cost of laying out and maintaining the open space will be charged to
the general county account out of which expenditure on parks is met.
The gross cost of the scheme, exclusive of the cost of erecting the new dwellings, and laying out
the open space, is estimated at £467,000. The value of the surplus lands and rehousing sites is
estimated at £77,100, making a net estimate of £389,900, exclusive of the cost (£4,800) of laying out
the open space.