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a temporary building. Two further sites were sold to the Essex County
Council, one for the extension of an existing school, and the other for
the erection of a new elementary school. A site was also sold to the County of
Essex Territorial Army Association for the extension of their drill hall. A site
was also leased to the County of London Electric Supply Company, Limited, for the
erection of a transformer station. Other sites were let on building lease for 99 years,
for the erection of shops and residences for doctors and a dentist.
The Council, on 11th October, 1927, decided to repurchase from the Ilford
Corporation one of two sites in Becontree sold in 1922 for the erection of elementary
schools, the Corporation being satisfied that one site only was sufficient to meet the
requirements of the portion of the estate in the borough of Ilford.
In connection with a proposal of the Dagenham Urban District Council to
widen and make up Chequers-lane, which affords the only means of approach from
the estate to Dagenham Dock station, the Council, on 28th June, 1927, decided,
subject to the consent of the Minister of Health, to make a contribution of £1,000
towards the cost of the work. The Minister has withheld his consent, pending
enquiries as to the willingness of the owners of adjoining land and others who would
benefit by the improvement to contribute towards the expenditure. To enable the
Dagenham Urban District Council to effect an improvement at the junction of
Heathway and Goresbrook-road, a small piece of the Council's land was surrendered
for addition to the public way.
On 26th July, 1927, the Council decided to invite by public advertisement
offers for leases of five sites at Becontree for the establishment of licensed refreshment
houses, on the lines of the "Fellowship Inn" at Bellingham (if the necessary licences
could be obtained), with special forms of control and management, for the supply
of food and alcoholic and non-alcoholic liquors, on conditions, among others ,that
the houses should be available for the general entertainment and refreshment of the
population, and that the persons employed on the premises should not have any
direct pecuniary interest in encouraging the sale of alcoholic liquor. It is proposed
to surrender or to transfer the licences in respect of the four existing beerhouses on
the estate as and when the new premises, which are intended to take their place, are
completed and opened for business. The offers received were under consideration at
the end of the year.
Further consideration was given during the year to the question of the present
unsatisfactory system of dumping London refuse on the north bank of the River
Thames, in the vicinity of Becontree, and on 26th July, 1927, the Council passed
a resolution urging the Minister of Health to hold a public inquiry for the purpose of
arriving at a solution of the problem. The Minister, while fully appreciating the
importance of the subject, was of opinion that the holding of a public inquiry would
be inexpedient, as the subject formed part of the larger problem of the disposal of
refuse from London generally, which was at the moment under investigation by his
department. The Minister gave an assurance that the investigation should be proceeded
with as rapidly as possible.
A tenancy of about 4½ acres of land has been granted at a nominal rent to a
sports and social club formed by the Council's employees on the estate, and on 13th
December, 1927, the Council decided as a special case and without creating a precedent,
to make a grant of £150 to the club towards the cost of laying out the land
and of the necessary equipment.
The houses so far erected at Becontree are lighted by gas, but permission was
granted during the year to the County of London Electric Supply Company, Limited,
to wire existing houses for electric lighting, the charge to the tenants for the current
supplied to be through prepayment meters. The question of arranging for new houses
on the estate to be lighted by electricity was under consideration at the end of the
year.