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ferably on the Council's estates at Becontree or in the south-eastern district, which
are accessible by means of the underground railways. The estimated gross capital
cost of the scheme, exclusive of the cost of the new dwellings, is £70,000, but, after
taking credit for the surplus lands available for disposal, together with the value
of the sites proposed to be utilised for housing purposes, the capital cost is reduced
to £24,000. Application was made to the Minister of Health for confirmation of
the scheme, and a local inquiry was held on 27th November, 1923. The Minister's
decision is now awaited, and, in order that no time may be lost in carrying the
scheme into effect as and when confirmed, plans for the first block of new dwellings
are being prepared.
George'sroad
and
Brand-street
scheme.
An official representation, under Part I. of the Housing Act of 1890, having
been made with reference to two unhealthy areas known as the George's-road and
Brand-street areas, Holloway, the Council, being of opinion that the evils existing
in the areas could only be effectively remedied by means of an improvement scheme
under the Act, decided, on 27th November, 1923, to make such a scheme, and to
submit it to the Minister of Health for confirmation.
The George's-road area, of about 2 acres, comprises two groups of houses, 113
in number, and containing a population of about 754. The Brand-street area, which
adjoins the Northern Polytechnic Institute, slightly exceeds one acre in extent,
and comprises 75 small houses with a population of about 412 persons. Some of
it will probably be absorbed for educational purposes.
Altogether, 1,166 persons of the working classes will be displaced, and it is
proposed to provide accommodation for an equal number of persons of whom about
900 will be accommodated on the cleared areas. In order to provide a suitable
site for the erection of the dwellings on the George's-road area, it will be necessary
to close James-street, and to acquire a small factory at the end of the street. The
estimated cost of acquisition and clearance amounts to £34,500 gross, exclusive
of the cost of erecting the new dwellings.
As St. Mary's recreation ground, maintained by the Islington Metropolitan
Borough Council, is only about a quarter of a mile distant, the proposed lay-out
does not make any provision for recreation space other than that which will be
provided by the courtyards of the dwellings. The scheme involves the displacement
of a number of costermongers, and it is proposed, therefore, to provide a site upon
which sheds for the storage of barrows can be erected, if required.
East-hill
estate.
In order to facilitate the clearance of unhealthy areas in London, under Part I.
or Part II. of the Housing Act of 1890, the Council considers it imperative that
advantage should be taken of opportunities for acquiring sites for the erection of
tenement dwellings which can be regarded as part of the rehousing accommodation
to be provided under approved schemes. By this means the clearance and reconstruction
of condemned areas can be considerably expedited to the public benefit
Some difficulty is experienced in finding sites which can be secured at a satisfactory
price for housing development, but during 1923 the attention of the Council was
directed to the St. Peter's Hospital site, otherwise known as the Fishmongers'
Almshouses, in East-hill, Wandsworth, which was for sale. The area of the site
is 8 acres, and dwellings with accommodation for over 3,200 persons can be provided
on the site. The site has a frontage of about 420 feet to East-hill and has a
depth of about 1,000 feet towards the Southern Railway (South Western section).
It is within easy distance of Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Town stations
and East-hill is a tramway and omnibus route. Wandsworth Common is only about
130 yards distant. The Council considered that the site was eminently suitable
for housing purposes, and the Council decided accordingly on 10th July, 1923, to
acquire it at a cost not exceeding £20,500. The scheme will fall within the financial
arrangement contemplated in section 1 (3) of the Housing, etc., Act, 1923, whereby
the State contributes one-half of the estimated average annual loss arising out of the
scheme, such sum being met out of the annual sum of at least £50,000 a year