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to be made in respect of the area and decided on 10th February, 1925, to make such
a scheme, the execution of which will, it is estimated, involve the displacement of
about 2,700 persons. It is proposed that rehousing accommodation for not fewer
than that number shall be provided within the area. Apart from the cost of the
new dwellings, the cost of acquisition and clearance is estimated at approximately
£150,000.
The scheme includes a church as well as a school which can both remain without
unduly interfering with a scheme of re-development, but an adjustment in the eastern
boundary of the school may be required. The sub-station of the Metropolitan
Railway Company, certain other property facing Euston-road and the licensed
premises at the corner of Ossulston-street and Weir's-passage have been excluded
from the scheme, but five licensed premises are included. The site offers an
exceptionally favourable opportunity for the Council to adopt a scheme for the
erection of dwellings within the provisions of the London Building Acts which will
be higher than anything hitherto attempted in connection with clearance schemes,
and a proposal to provide blocks of nine storeys with quickly moving lifts and other
amenities is under consideration.
The scheme was submitted to the Minister of Health, and a public local inquiry
into the proposal was held on 11th and 12th August, 1925. The decision of the
Minister was still awaited at the end of the year.
China-walk,
Hatfield
street and
Wyndhamroad
areas.
Official representations under Part I. of the Housing Act, 1890, were made to
the Council on various dates in 1924 and 1925 by the respective borough medical
officers of health with regard to four unhealthy areas known as (i) the China-walk
area, Lambeth, (ii) the Hatfield-street and Hankey-place areas, Southwark, and (iii)
the Wyndham-road area, Camberwell. The Council being satisfied as to the
necessity for improvement, decided on 3rd February and 5th May, 1925, to make
a scheme under the Act for dealing with the four areas.
The China-walk area is a very congested area of about 5 acres lying between
Kennington-road and Walnut-Tree-walk, and is bounded on the north by the Lambeth
public baths. The lay-out is bad, the houses are decayed, and the evils existing are
remediable only by the clearance of the old property, and the re-arrangement of
the ground plan. The frontage to Lambeth-walk has been omitted from the scheme,
but certain properties fronting on Kennington-road and one small beer-house are
included. The displacement of about 1,840 persons of the working-classes is involved,
and housing accommodation for about 1,450 persons can be provided on the cleared
site.
The Hatfield-street area, which is about 2¾ acres in extent, consists of a group
of courts and places situated on both sides of the street known as Paris-garden
to the south of Stamford-street and west of Blackfriars-road, and immediately adjoins
the disused graveyard of Christ Church, Southwark. To the north of the area are
two modern printing works and the power station of the London Hydraulic Power
Company. The area includes one licensed public-house. The closeness and bad
arrangement of the streets and houses and the dampness of the latter are predominant
features, and the only remedy lies in complete clearance and
reconstruction.
The Hankey-place area, adjacent to the Tabard-street area, comprises eight
old, damp and badly arranged houses, and a large shed. For some time past
the Council had been endeavouring to arrange terms for the acquisition of
a site of about half an acre adjoining the Hankey-place area, with a view to
the erection of dwellings thereon, and as it did not appear likely that satislactory
terms could be arranged, the opportunity was taken of obtaining compulsory
powers over the site by including it for rehousing purposes in the scheme. The number
of persons of the working classes residing in the Hatfield-street area and Hankeyplace
areas is about 1,012.