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Local Bonds (for housing).—The total amount raised by this means to 31st March, 1922, was
£3,955,605. Deducting £106,373 6s. 2d. for expenses of issue, the net amount raised was
£3,849,231 13s. lOd. £3,147,046 of this sum has been advanced on loan to the metropolitan borough
councils for housing purposes. No part of the proceeds has been used for the Council's own capital
purposes.
The Ministry of Health have agreed to the expenses of issue being spread over a period of 5 years,
and charged to the assisted scheme. Provision has been made accordingly. The rate of interest
charged on the loans to the borough councils is the same as that payable by the Council on the face value
of the Bonds—viz., 6 per cent., so that the instalments in repayment of the expenses of issue and the
annual cost of management, etc. (a total in 1921-22 of £28,159 7s. 5d.) fall wholly on the Council's
assisted scheme account.
C.—Coal Supply to Tenants.
To meet the special conditions arising out of the war, accommodation was provided for the storage
of coal in bulk, the price of issue to the tenants being fixed to cover the cost of labour and other expenses
incurred in carrying out the scheme. The scheme has now been discontinued.
D.—Well Hall Estate.
The arrangement with the Commissioners of H.M. Works, etc., under which the Council undertook
the maintenance and management of this estate on certain agreed conditions, was terminated on 30th
September, 1921:
Demand for
Accommodation.
Housing Statistics—Memorandum by the Valuer.
There has been no appreciable abatement during 1921-22 of the great demand for accommodation
on the Council's housing estates. Apart from the large number of applications which had previously
been received, 10,151 applications were received during 1920-21, although it was found necessary during
that year to close the waiting fists of applicants for accommodation except as regards applicants
entitled to preferential treatment (see below). In 1921-22, although the lists were practically closed
for the greater part of the year 10,036 additional applications were received. Moreover, a very large
number of persons made inquiries, both written and verbal, as to the possibility of obtaining accommodation
and, being informed of the position, did not make formal applications which in the circumstances
would have been futile. The difficulty is most acute in the cases of persons about to get
married, newly-married couples and persons with families so small as to render them ineligible for
accommodation in dwellings other than those of the smaller types. It is indicative of the situation
that at one time during the year when an erroneous impression was created that the waiting list for one
of the Council's new estates had been re-opened, thousands of inquiries and requests for forms of
application were made in the course of one week.
New dwellings
provided
during
the year.
The curtailment of the Council s programme at the instance of the Minister of Health, has
already been referred to (see p. 73). The erection of houses under contracts already entered into was
proceeded with and during the year 1,708 new dwellings were completed and let. Of these dwellings,
465 are situated on the Becontree estate, 312 on the Bellingham estate, 112 on the Norbury estate,
287 on the Old Oak estate, 342 on the Roehampton estate, 112 on the AVhite Hart Lane estate, and 78
on the Tabard Garden estate. These 78 tenements are of the block dwelling type, while all those
on the other estates are of the cottage or cottage flat type. At the end of March, 1921, 368 dwellings
had been erected so that the total number of post-war dwellings had by the end of 1921-22, reached
2,076 providing accommodation on the Council's basis of two persons a room for 15,604 persons.
Accommodation
provided.
The pre-war dwellings comprised 0,543 tenements in block dwellings, 3,148 cottages, and 294
cottage flats. The total of all dwellings was, at the end of 1921-22,12,067 dwellings containing 36,587
rooms, besides 1,874 cubicles in lodging houses, affording, all told, accommodation on the basis of two persons
a room, for 74,516 persons. There were also, on the estates, 110 shops, 97 workshops, 274 sheds
and 12 stables. The actual population at the end of the year was 49,153 persons, including 1,729
at the lodging-houses, as compared with 41,544 persons on 31st March, 1921.
Preference
given to
certain
applicants.
Before the war it was the general practice ior the Council, upon tne receipt ot satisfactory
references, to accept tenants in the order in which their applications were received. Preference was
given (i.) to persons displaced through the acquisition by the Council of property for clearance or
improvement schemes or other public purposes and (ii.) to persons already residing in the county.
This preference still holds good. Owing to the shortage of accommodation since the war the Council lias
from time to time, given temporarily further preferences as follows:—(i.) To persons who gave up their
homes in order to join H.M. Forces or to undertake other work of national importance, including a
small number of instructors of the Territorial Force Association; (ii.) to ex-firemen required to vacate
quarters at fire-stations; (iii.) to members of the Council's staff, to the extent of 5 per cent, of the
houses provided; (iv.) on the Grove Park site and at Bellingham, to families from Bermondsey and
Deptford in the proportion of one out of every ten houses provided, up to a maximum of 1,400 houses
on the two estates. This preference is granted in view of the accessibility of the sites to persons residing
in the boroughs named and the fact that the Grove Park scheme was originally promoted by the local
authorities. On the Old Oak estate special consideration is given, upon representations by the local
medical officer, to the claims of persons living in overcrowded conditions in some neighbouring boroughs.
With a view to facilitating the work of development limited numbers of houses on certain of the
new estates are placed temporarily at the disposal of the contractors, subject to the payment of the
approved rents, for the accommodation of skilled workmen engaged in the execution of contracts.
In order to make full use of all available accommodation the Council has adopted the following general
principles:—(i.) Applicants are to be allotted houses and tenements not larger than are deemed to be