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191
During the year the Council accepted the offers of the County of London Electric
Supply Company, Limited, and the South Metropolitan Gas Company, respectively,
for the installation of electricity for lighting and gas for cooking and heating in
Moffat, Livingstone and Speke Houses, in each case free of cost to the Council.
The scheme for the clearance of the Basing-place and Blue Anchor-lane areas,
Camberwell (about 3 acres), as confirmed by the Minister of Health in 1927, requires
that rehousing accommodation for 756 persons, which is the estimated number of
persons to be displaced from the two areas, shall be provided by the Council in
new dwellings to be erected on the Blue Anchor-lane area. The Basing-place
area will not be used for housing. The Blue Anchor-lane area (to be known as
Oliver Goldsmith-estate) is being developed by the erection of two blocks of dwellings
(Wakefield and Primrose Houses) of the normal type, comprising in all 121 tenements
with accommodation for 766 persons, 12 lock-up shops on the ground floor of
Primrose House, 13 costermongers' barrow sheds, and an estate workshop and store.
On 18th December, 1928, the Council approved a capital estimate of £1,950 in respect
of the construction of the foundations of a portion of Wakefield House.
The scheme made by the Council in 1927 for the clearance of the Carlisle-street
area, St. Marylebone (about 7.92 acres), was duly submitted to the Minister of Health
for confirmation, and a public local inquiry into the proposal was held on 7th, 8th,
18th and 19th June, 1928. At the end of the year the decision of the Minister was
still awaited.
On 26th June, 1928, the Council decided to purchase by agreement from the
Portman Estate the freehold of their property (comprising about one-half of the
property included by the Council in the scheme) in advance of the confirmation of
the scheme by the Minister of Health. The freehold of the Church of England
non-provided school in North-street, not covered by the original scheme, was also
included in the purchase.
On 10th July and 23rd October, 1928, the Council decided to enter into provisional
agreements (subject to confirmation of the scheme by the Minister of Health)
with the trustees of St. John's Wood Roman Catholic school, St. Marylebone, and
with the Keepers and Governors of Harrow School and Messrs. Villiers, respectively,
with regard to certain of their properties included in the scheme. By these agreements
the clearance of parts of the areas will be secured without the necessity for
the Council to acquire certain freehold interests and without detriment to the
site required for the erection of new dwellings on the area.
East Hill estate, Wandsworth (8 acres), was purchased in 1924 for the purpose
of providing rehousing accommodation in connection with the clearance of unhealthy
areas. Accommodation for 3,254 persons in 13 blocks of dwellings will be provided
on the estate, to be allocated to various clearance schemes as indicated in the Annual
Report for 1926 (Vol. III., p. 189). Eleven blocks of dwellings of the normal type
five storeys in height, with accommodation for 3,014 persons in 492 tenements have
been completed.
Basing-place
and Blue
Anchor-lane
scheme.
Carlisle-
street
scheme.
East Hill
estate.
On 22nd May, 1928, the Council approved a capital estimate of 124,590 tor tne
erection of the two remaining blocks (Yarmouth and Lowestoft Houses) comprising
in all 32 tenements with accommodation for 240 persons. These buildings are of the
normal type of planning, but only four storeys high. One room in each tenement is
fitted for use as a bed-sitting room which can be furnished by the tenant and let to
a lodger if required. The tender of J. E. Billings and Company, Limited, amounting
to £22,381, for the building work was accepted and at the end of the year the work
was well in hand.
On 7th February, 1928, the Council accepted the tender of J. E. Billings and
Company, Limited, amounting to £1,970, for paving the remaining footways and
finishing the carriageways adjacent to all the blocks of dwellings then completed on
the estate.
16479 n*