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187
On 31st July and 11th December, 1928, the Council approved a capital estimate
of £38,117 for the erection of (i) the first section of block 3 of dwellings, to be known
as Brune House, and an estate store, (ii) 9 shops and workrooms in Shepherd-street,
(iii) a portion of another building in Shepherd-street, comprising 1 shop with dwelling
accommodation over it, and (iv) three shops with dwelling accommodation over
them and three stores in connection with the shops in Wentworth-street. Brune
House has been designed to contain in all 99 tenements of the normal type, to afford
accommodation for 590 persons, and the first section will comprise 44 tenements
with accommodation for 268 persons. The tender of Mr. A. T. Rowley, amounting
to £29,493, for the works under items (i), (ii) and (iii) above has been accepted
together with his offer to undertake the work under item (iv) at the same rates and
prices as those contained in his tender. The building work is due to be commenced
in January, 1929. The question of the method of utilising the Ellen-street area
when cleared was under consideration at the end of the year.
The Prusom-street scheme, as confirmed by the Minister of Health, with
modifications, in 1924, deals with an area about 8½ acres in extent in Wapping,
to be known, when re-constructed, as Wapping-estate. The scheme involves the
displacement of 2,601 persons of the working classes and rehousing accommodation
has to be provided for an equal number, of whom not fewer than 1,000 are to be
accommodated on certain defined lands within the area. Accommodation for 184
persons has already been provided on the area in Willoughby House. On 18th
December, 1928, the Council approved a supplemental capital estimate of £4,000
to cover the cost of the acquisition by agreement for the purposes of the scheme of
certain additional properties lying to the north-west of Green-bank between
Raymond-street and Old Gravel-lane.
Prusom-
street
scheme.
During 1928 blocks 2 to 5 of dwellings (Chancellor, Flinders, Frobisher and
Franklin Houses), comprising 96 tenements of the simplified type with 264 rooms,
to afford accommodation for 528 persons, were completed. On 26th June, 1928,
the Council approved a capital estimate of £34,380 for the erection of two further
blocks, to be known as Fenner and Jackman Houses, comprising 51 tenements (20
of the simplified type and 31 of the normal type) with accommodation for 286
persons, with 8 lock-up shops on the ground floor of Jackman House, and 3 shop
premises with dwelling accommodation over them in Old Gravel-lane. The building
work, which was commenced in August, 1928, is being carried out by Canonbury
Construction Company, Limited, as an extension of their contract for the erection
of blocks 2 to 5. Two of the shop premises to be erected in Old Gravel-lane
are being fitted with special trade appliances, the cost of which (£515) will be
repaid with interest by the tenants by instalments.
Arrangements were made during the year for the Stepney Metropolitan Borough
Council to make up, free of cost to the Council, a strip of land to be added to the
public way for the purpose of widening Green-bank.
The scheme made by the Council for the clearance of the three insanitary areas
in the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar, known as the Baker's-alley (1⅓ acres), Birchfield-street
(¾ acre) and Bromley-place (f acre) areas, was confirmed by the Minister
of Health in 1924. Rehousing accommodation has to be provided for not fewer
than 740 persons (190 on the Birchfield-street area). One block of dwellings (Birchfield
House) with accommodation for 190 persons, has been erected on the Birchfieldstreet
area. Re-housing accommodation for a further 432 persons has been prov ded
at East Hill-estate, Wandsworth (200 persons), and Shore-estate, South Hackney
(232 persons).
During the year the Council, with the consent of the Minister of Health, acquired
by agreement for £800 an additional property for improving the Baker's-alley
area.
Baker's-alley,
Birchfieldstreet
and
Bromleyplace
scheme.