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179
The Council on 9th March, 1926, passed a resolution that, in its opinion, the
need for improved travelling facilities between London and Becontree was vital and
urgent. Evidence in support of this resolution was given on behalf of the Council in
March, 1926, before theLondon andHome Counties Traffic Advisory Committee which
had been appointed by the Minister of Transport to enquire into the adequacy of
travelling facilities to and from East London. A new station or halt has been provided
at Gale Street, Becontree, on the Southend branch of the London, Midland and Scottish
Railway, the necessary land for the purpose having been provided by the Council.
The total area of Bellingham is 252 acres, and under the main contract, completed
in 1923, for the development of the portion of the estate devoted to working-class
dwellings (176½ acres) 2,090 houses and flats were erected. The six houses of the
" Tibbenham " type erected on one of the few small sites remaining on the working
class portion of the estate were completed during the year, and the weekly net rents
(exclusive of rates and water charges) were fixed as follows:—Four-roomed (nonparlour)
house, 11s. to 11s. 6d.; five-roomed house, 13s. 3d.
Bellingham.
The housing estate at Downham (Lewisham and Bromley) which is about
520 acres in extent, was acquired under compulsory powers. The estate is being
developed by Holland & Hannen and Cubitts, Limited, under a cost contract with a
variable fee to the contractor. On 23rd February, 1926, the Council approved a supplemental
capital estimate of £147,750 to cover the cost of 241 additional houses on the
Bromley-road (No. 1) section of the estate, making a total for that section of 2,419
houses at an estimated cost of £1,457,750. This estimate proved to be insufficient, and
a supplemental capital estimate of £689,250 was approved by the Council on 20th
July, 1926, to cover the additional cost of the 2,419 houses on the No. 1 section
and also the development of the Whitefoot-lane (No. 2) section by the erection of
698 houses and flats. Subsequently the Council on 30th November, 1926, approved
a capital estimate of £305,000 for the development of a further section of the estate,
known as the Baring-road (No. 3) section, by the erection of 421 houses and flats.
At the end of the year about 1,600 houses had been completed, and over 1,300
houses were in course of construction. Work on the No. 3 section had not been
commenced.
Downham.
During the year a further contract was entered into with the London and Eastern
Prefacto Company, Limited, for the erection of four additional houses (making 8 in
all) of the Prefacto type of construction at Downham.
The development of the Bromley-road (No. 1) section includes the provision
of 24 three-storey buildings containing 72 flats, and the weekly net rents (exclusive
of rates and water charges) of these were fixed during the year, as follows:—Ground
and first floors—three rooms, 10s. 6d. and 11s.; four rooms, 12s. Second floor—
three rooms, 10s. and 10s. 6d.; four rooms, lis. 6d. The weekly net rents of
certain demonstration houses of different types of construction were also fixed as
follows:—"Atholl," "Telford," "Weir" and "Wild" types (five rooms) 13s. 6d.
a week ; "Prefacto" houses—four rooms, 13s., five rooms, 14s.
During the year the Council allocated a site of about 2½ acres to the
north of Downham-way for the erection of an elementary school, and a site of
about 13,000 square feet at the northern junction of Bromley-road and Old Bromleyroad
was let on building lease for 99 years at a rent of £150 a year for the erection
of shop premises with dwelling accommodation over. On 21st December, 1926, the
Council decided that offers should be invited by public advertisement for a 99 years'
lease of a site at Downham for the erection of a refreshment house, on the lines of
the " Fellowship Inn " at Bellingham, for the supply of food and alcoholic and nonalcoholic
liquors, on conditions, among others, that the house should be available
for the general entertainment and refreshment of the population, and that the
persons employed on the premises should not have a pecuniary interest in encouraging
the sale of alcoholic liquor.