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Standard grants (from 14 June, 1959)—
England and Wales 33,061
London—
Metropolitan borough councils 257
London County Council 5
Houses improved by local authorities with financial assistance— Total houses
England and Wales 28,944
London—
Metropolitan borough councils 1,010
London County Council 764
Brandon Estate—The following is an example of the operation by the Council of the
improvement grants scheme for reviving houses which still have a useful life before them.
In 1951 the Council resolved to acquire by agreement a declining estate of about 56
acres, consisting mainly of residential property, with a view to preparing a phased programme
of rehabilitation and redevelopment. In the area suitable for rehabilitation were
182 two- to five-storey houses. These were without bathrooms, the sanitary arrangements
were inadequate, the kitchens and fireplaces antiquated and, although they were in multiple
occupation, no conversions into self-contained flats had taken place. The treatment undertaken
produced 328 self-contained dwellings, each with its own bathroom and usual
amenities.
The two-storey houses were modernised (a) by providing a bathroom with a separate
internal water closet on the ground floor and a dining-kitchen, or (b) by providing a bathroom
and a separate water closet on the first floor and a small kitchen adjacent to a
dining-room on the ground floor, or (c) by conversion into self-contained flats on the
ground and first floors.
Houses with semi-basements and two floors above were converted into maisonettes on
semi-basement and ground floors and flats on the first floors, each flat extending over two
houses.
Of the houses with semi-basements and three floors above, six were converted into five
maisonettes with seven flats over; others (where the attic floor had insufficient room height
to be habitable) were converted to contain maisonettes on semi-basement and ground
floors, and flats on the first floors, each flat extending over two houses; and the remainder
were converted into maisonettes on semi-basement and ground floors with self-contained
flats on first and second floors, each flat extending over two houses.
The houses with semi-basements and four floors above (the attics not being habitable)
were converted into maisonettes on semi-basement and ground floors and self-contained
flats on the first and second floors, each flat extending over two houses.
Photographs and plans which illustrate a typical scheme for the conversion of a threestorey
and basement house on the Brandon Estate are shown in the inset.
Rehousing on medical grounds
Background—Since the Council commenced to provide housing many applicants for
such accommodation have submitted medical certificates in an attempt to gain preference.
In 1939 about 1,000 applications with medical certificates were received; in 1945 the
figure was only 450 but by 1950 it was no less than 44,000. While an analysis of 1,000
applications for rehousing supported by medical certificates in 1947 revealed that 20
per cent. were of a genuinely urgent nature, 40 per cent. were less urgent and the
remaining 40 per cent. were not considered worthy of a recommendation; a similar
sample in 1948 produced percentages of 10, 35 and 55, respectively. It became obvious
that the medical certificate had become debased and that medical practitioners were under
various pressures to supply them.
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