View report page

178
At the end of the year about 8,400 houses on the estate had been completed, about
1,600 were in course of building, and orders had been issued to the contractors for
the erection of about 3,800 others. On 11th December, 1926, the Council approved
a capital estimate of £1,250,000, for the development of a further section, to be known
as the Valence (No. 10) section, by the erection of about 2,136 houses, of which
about 186 will probably be of timber construction. During the year the Council
also approved the erection of 68 additional houses on the Ilford (No. 5) section, and
100 additional houses on the Dagenham (Nos. 6 and 8 sections).
During the year the Council fixed the weekly net rents (exclusive of rates and
water charges) for accommodation on the Valence (No. 4) section, Ilford (No. 5)
section, the Valence (No. 7) section, and the Dagenham (No. 6a) section. The range
of rents is as follows:—Five-roomed house, 12s. 6d. to 13s. 6d.; four-roomed (parlour)
house, 11s. 6d. to 14s.; four-roomed (non-parlour) house, 10s. 6d. to 12s. 9d.; threeroomed
house, 10s. to 11s.; two-roomed flat, 7s. 6d. to 9s. 3d. The rents of 19
demonstration wooden houses were also fixed as follows:—Four-roomed house,
13s. 6d. to 14s. 6d.; three-roomed house 11s.; two-roomed flat with common
basement, ground floor 12s., first floor 11s.; detached four-roomed house, with
alcove and basement, 20s.
The scheme for the development of Becontree provides for the preservation
of rural belts along the western and southern boundaries of the estate, and during
the year the Council decided to transfer about 35½ acres of this land, adjoining
Goodmayes recreation ground, to the Ilford Urban District Council (now the Ilford
Borough Council) to lay out and maintain for use for recreation purposes. About
7.89 acres of this will be set apart mainly for the use of a children's playing field
and the remainder for general sports and recreation purposes. The Council also
agreed to convey two parcels of land on the Valence section (24.64 acres) and one
on the Dagenham section (38 acres) to the Dagenham Urban District Council
for use in perpetuity as open spaces. As part of the arrangement the district
council agreed to surrender whatever rights or interest it might have in part of
Becontree Heath (3½ acres) which is required in connection with the development
of the Valence (No. 10) section of the estate. On 2nd March, 1926, the Council
agreed to an exchange of lands with the Barking Town Urban District Council
whereby about 35½ acres of land belonging to the district council near the centre
of the estate was conveyed to the Council in exchange for a piece of land about
41 acres in extent, in the extreme south-west corner of the estate, required by the
district council for an extension of the adjoining cemetery.
With a view to straightening part of the northern boundary of the estate an
exchange of two small parcels of land of equal area was effected during the
year.
During the year the Council sold two sites to the Church of England authorities,
one for £1,040 and the other for £900 for the erection of two churches, and two
further sites were sold to the Essex County Council for £1,130 and £625 respectively
for the erection of elementary schools. Other sites were let on building lease for
99 years for the erection of shops, and a site at the junction of Goresbrook-road
and Heathway on the Dagenham section was let on lease for the erection
of a cinematograph hall. A site of about 3 acres in extent at the rear of the houses in
Broad-street was let on a 21 years' lease to the Heathway Lawn Tennis Club, and a
site on the northern side of Becontree-avenue was let on lease to a medical practitioner
for the erection of a house and surgery. The freehold of Valence House and grounds,
together with two adjacent cottages, was sold to the Dagenham Urban District
Council for £2,000 for use for municipal purposes.
Arrangements were made during the year for the widening of Broad-street on
the Dagenham section, the work being carried on by the contractors for the development
of the estate at the cost of the Dagenham Urban District Council.