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19-1
A contract was entered into with the company on these lines, and the order to
commence work was issued to the contractors about the end of the year.
Castelnau
estate.
On the application of the Council, the Minister of Health, by an Order dated
7th February, 1925, conferred upon the Council powers of compulsory acquisition
for housing purposes of a site of about 51¼ acres at Castelnau, Barnes. Steps were
taken to put into force the powers of the compulsory order, and the question
of arranging for the development of land was under consideration at the end of the
year.
TabardStreet,
etc.,
scheme.
The Tabard-street and Grotto-place, Southwark, and Crosby-row, Bermondsey,
scheme under Part I. of the Housing Act, 1890, relates to three areas of about
17 acres, comprising 875 houses with a population of 4,593. Rehousing accommodation
has to be provided on the Tabard-street area for not fewer than 2,580 persons.
The reconstructed area is known as the Tabard Garden estate. Chaucer, Becket,
Geoffrey, Harbledown, Rochester and Huberd Houses with accommodation for
2,124 persons were completed between 1916 and 1923. Tabard House, containing
42 tenements with accommodation-for 256 persons, was completed during 1925.
The central portion (about 5 acres) of the Tabard-street area is to be laid out as a
public open space, and part of it is being used temporarily as a playground for
children. A number of the old houses are, however, still standing on the site, and
great difficulty is being experienced in obtaining vacant possession of the property
for demolition on account of the acute housing shortage. The Council has accordingly
under consideration the steps to be taken to provide further rehousing accommodation
for the people who have yet to be displaced in order that the scheme for the permanent
lay-out of the open space may be proceeded with.
Another small public open space is about to be provided on the Grotto-place
area (about a mile distant from the Tabard-street area) by the Southwark Metropolitan
Borough Council, to whom the Council agreed during the year to sell about
11 acres of the land for the purpose.
Brady-street
scheme.
The Brady-street scheme, which relates to an area of about 7 acres in the metropolitan
borough of Bethnal Green, is being carried into effect under Part II. of the
Housing Act, 1890. About 1,875 persons of the working classes will be displaced,
and accommodation has to be provided for 1,600 persons on the cleared site and for
265 persons elsewhere. In part fulfilment of the rehousing obligation under the
scheme, a block of dwellings known as Whiston House, containing 12 tenements toaccommodate
90 persons has been erected by the Council at Goldsmith's-row, Shoreditch,
and 35 cottages with accommodation for 175 persons have been provided on a
site at Walthamstow by the freeholders of a large part of the property required for
the clearance scheme.
The first block of dwellings (Bullen House) to be erected on the improvement
area, named Collingwood estate, was completed in 1923. The second block of
dwellings (Pellew House), which consists of 48 tenements, was completed during
the year. On 30th June, 1925, the Council accepted the tender of Messrs.
Rowley Brothers, amounting to £24,096, for the erection of the third block
(Fremantle House), which will contain accommodation for 294 persons in 48
tenements.
On 27th January, 1925, the Council fixed the weekly net rents (exclusive of
rates) for accommodation at Pellew House as follows:—Ground floor—Two rooms,
9s.; three rooms, 10s. 6d. to 11s.; four rooms, 13s. First and second floors—Two
rooms, 9s. 6d.; three rooms, 11s. to 11s. 6d.; four rooms, 13s. 6d. Third and
fourth floors—Three rooms, 10s. 6d. to 11s. 6d.; four rooms, 12s. 6d. to 13s.; five
rooms, 14s. 6d.
Offers of the Bethnal Green Metropolitan Borough Council and the Gas Light
and Coke Company to fit up Fremantle House for electric lighting and for gas supply
for cooking purposes free of cost to the Council have been accepted.