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28
Redevelopment.
Mention was made in the report for last year of the new procedure introduced
in the Housing Act, 1935, for dealing with redevelopment areas. In December,
1936, an area of some 46 acres in Bethnal Green lying between Regent's canal on the
north and Old Bethnal Green-road on the south, was declared to be a proposed
redevelopment area—the first of its kind in the county. As there was no precedent
for the preparation of evidence in respect of a redevelopment area, a considerable
amount of work was entailed by the collection of data relating to the various conditions
to which an area of this kind must conform.
The total number of properties in the area was found to be 1,210, of which nearly
700 were working-class houses, and rather more than 47 per cent. of these were unfit
for human habitation and not capable, at reasonable expense, of being rendered so
fit. Taking into account also the other two factors of congestion and overcrowding,
55 per cent. of the working class dwellings in the area were in such condition that
section 13 (1) of the Housing Act, 1935, could apply. The statutory proportion is
a minimum of one-third.
Overcrowding.
The duties of local authorities in respect of overcrowding may be divided into
three parts: firstly, a survey to ascertain which dwellings are overcrowded;
secondly, the preparation and submission to the Minister of Health of a report as
to the result of the inspection and the number of new houses needed to abate overcrowding;
and, thirdly, the submission of proposals for the provision of the required
houses.
In the county of London the work of the survey fell to the Borough Councils
and their reports were submitted, in the first place, to the County Council as required
by section 21, of the Housing Act, 1935, thus enabling the Council to effect the
necessary measure of co-ordination. The results of the survey in the various
boroughs and for London as a whole were published in March, the outstanding fact
being that 70,953 families, equivalent to 357,989 persons, representing 9.1 per cent.
of the population of the county, were found to be living in overcrowded conditions
as defined by the Act.
As the abatement of overcrowding entails the provision of fresh accommodation
and cannot be achieved immediately the extent of such overcrowding has
been ascertained, the Housing Act, 1935, provided that no offence would be committed
in this respect until after an "appointed day" had been fixed by the
Minister, who might appoint different days for different purposes and different
provisions of the Act and for different localities. For these purposes the different
provisions fall into two groups, viz. (a) section 6 providing for the entry in rent
books of information concerning overcrowding and for certificates to be supplied
with respect to the permitted number of persons in relation to the house, and
(b) sections 3,4,8 and 68 concerning offences in relation to overcrowding, exceptional
conditions and the supersession of by-laws for fixing the number of persons who may
occupy a house let in lodgings or occupied by members of more than one family.
The survey indicated that it would be impracticable to bring the overcrowding
provisions of the Act into force throughout the county on the same date, unless
it were unreasonably delayed, and, after consultation with the Council and the
Metropolitan Borough Councils concerned, the Minister appointed 1st July, 1936
(section 6), and 1st January, 1937 (sections 3,4,8 and 68), as the appointed days in the
boroughs of Kensington, Lewisham, Stoke Newington, Wandsworth, Woolwich and
the City of Westminster. The appointed days for Battersea, Camberwell, Chelsea,
Deptford, Fulham, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Lambeth were fixed as
1st January, 1937, and 1st July, 1937, respectively.
The fixing of early dates is in contemplation as regards six other boroughs,
but in the seven remaining boroughs, viz. Bermondsey, Bethnal Green, Finsbury,
Islington, Poplar, Shoreditch and Stepney, conditions are such that it is not possible
yet to fix the appointed days.