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of the council of the borough or district concerned. The section also confers a
similar power on metropolitan borough councils in connection with all housing
schemes within their respective boroughs.
The Council is empowered by Section 92 (1) (6) of the Housing Act, 1925,
to guarantee the repayment to building societies of the amounts advanced by them
for the building or acquisition of houses, the construction of which was commenced
after 25th April, 1923. It was thought that an extension of this power might be
useful, and the Council decided on 21st July, 1927, to promote legislation in the
session of 1928 to obtain authority to guarantee such repayments to building
societies also in respect of houses commenced on or before 25th April, 1923.
Since the war, the Council has, up to 31st December, 1927, completed 24,085
houses and flats. The houses and flats completed during the year 1927 totalled
8,201. Altogether since the completion of the first dwellings in 1894, the Council has
provided 34,070 tenements and houses and three lodging-houses with 1,880 cubicles,
The total estimated population of the Council's dwellings on 31st December, 1927,
was about 150,000 persons. These figures cover the whole of the Council's housing
operations for the periods mentioned, including rehousing in connection with schemes
for the clearance of unhealthy areas and other public improvements.
The programme of work in hand is very considerable, comprising the erection
of about 18,000 additional houses under Part III. of the Housing Act, 1925, apart
from the rehousinsr reauired under slum clearance schemes.
Houses, etc.
completed.
The Minister of Health is empowered to make contributions from the Exchequer
towards the expenses incurred by local authorities in carrying out improvement
schemes under Part II. of the Housing Act, 1925, such contributions being limited
to one-half of the estimated average annual loss. The Minister has intimated that
he is prepared to consider proposals for the County of London involving contributions
from the Exchequer amounting to £50,000 a year, and a comprehensive programme
of slum clearance is being carried out by the Council. The schemes now in
operation or about to be commenced are 13 in number, and include 23 separate
areas comprising 99.47 acres. The displacement of 28,513 persons of the working
classes is involved and rehousing accommodation for about an equivalent number
has to be provided, of whom not fewer than 19,870 have to be accommodated
within the limits of the improvement areas.
Clearance
schemes.
Particulars of housing schemes carried out or in process of execution by the
Council during the year under Part III of the Housing Act, 1925, are as follows:—
The estate known as Becontree, situated in the County of Essex, between
Chadwell Heath on the north and Ripple Road on the south, comprises about 2,770
acres, and was purchased with the aid of compulsory powers obtained in 1920.
The development of the estate is being carried out by C. J. Wills and Sons, Limited,
on a cost basis with a variable fee to the contractor. Several sections of the estate
have been completed and others are in process of development. On 17th May and
26th July, 1927, the Council approved capital estimates of £1,270,000 (subsequently
reduced to £1,115,000) and £1,450,000 (subsequently reduced to £1,190,000), for
the development of two further sections of the estate, to be known as the Dagenham
(No. 9) (1,946 houses and flats) and the Dagenham (No. 11) (2,072 houses and flats)
sections, respectively. At the end of the year, about 12,188 houses on the estate had
been completed, about 2,232 were in course of construction, and orders had been
issued to the contractors for the erection of about 1,072 others. The estate is capable
of being developed to the extent of a total of about 26,000 houses and flats, with
a total population of about 130,000.
During the year an additional site on the estate was sold to the
Church of England authorities for the erection of a church, and an
option was granted to a Jewish religious body to purchase, for the erection
of a permanent synagogue, a site already leased to them for the erection of
Becontree