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by Messrs. Blackwell and Meyer, whose tender amounting to £14,179 was accepted
in November, 1928. The portion of the estate south of Southend-lane, at present
used as a golf course, has been reserved with a view to the erection by private enterprise
of houses of a higher value than those usually provided by the Council.
Downham.
The housing estate at Downham (Lewisham and Bromley), which is about
522 acres in extent, was acquired under compulsory powers. The estate is being
developed by Holland and Hannen and Cubitts, Limited, under a "value-cost"
contract.
At the end of the year about 5,039 houses had been completed, and 848
houses were in course of construction. A site on the estate has been let on building
lease to Barclay, Perkins and Company, Limited, for the erection of a licensed refreshment
house to be known as "Downham Tavern." A full licence for the premises has
been granted and the building is being erected in accordance with plans approved
by the Council as freeholder.
During the year a site on the estate was sold to the Church of England authorities
for the erection of a mission hall or church, and another site was sold to the
London Baptist Property Board, Limited, for the erection of a church and a
for use as a works depot. Two sites were let on building lease to medical practitioners
for the erection of residences and surgeries. Areas of about 20.2 acres and
16.61 acres of land on the estate were appropriated as playing fields for elementary
and higher education purposes respectively. The appropriation of nine houses
at Downham for the accommodation of schoolkeepers on the estate and of one house
for the accommodation of the groundsman of the playing field for elementary schools
was also approved.
As a result of representations by the Lewisham Metropolitan Borough Council
the work on 16 houses in Whitefoot-lane, of which only the foundations had been
constructed, was temporarily suspended, without prejudice, in order to enable the
borough council if it so desired, after consultation with the Ministry of Transport,
to formulate a scheme for a widening and diversion of Whitefoot-lane.
Roehampton
estate.
The development of 93 acres of Roehampton estate, Wandsworth, by the erection
of 1,212 working-class dwellings was completed in 1927. The remainder of the estate
(about 53 acres) has been leased for the erection of houses of a higher value. During
the year a site was leased for the erection of a hall for various forms of philanthropic
work. The railway siding and other works, including a cart road, provided by the
Council at Barnes station in connection with the development of the estate, were
sold to the Southern Railway Company for £350.
White Hartlane
estate.
White Hart-lane estate, Tottenham, is now fully developed. A house erected
before the war, which recently became unsafe through subsidence of the sub-soil,
has been rebuilt on new foundations.
During the year a site was let to the Tottenham Urban District Council for the
erection of conveniences.
The Council since before the war has collected the rates with the weekly rents
of the pre-war houses on the estate. Agreements for limited periods have now
been entered into with the Tottenham and Wood Green Urban District Councils
whereby the Council will also collect the rates with the weekly rents of the post-war
houses and flats on the estate, subject in each case to payment by the District Council
to the Council of a commission for the service rendered.
Watling
estate.
The development of Watling estate (390 acres), on the east side of Edgware
road, Hendon, which is being carried out by C. J. Wills and Sons, Limited, under
a "value-cost" contract, was commenced early in 1926, and is now nearly finished.
By 31st December, 1928, 3,775 of the 4,021 houses and flats had been completed.
About 74 acres of land on the west side of Edgware-road were acquired by the Council
with the main portion of the estate. During the year about 8 acres of this land were
appropriated for use as a playing field for the William Ellis School, St. Pancras, and