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the fact that the earnings of the various members of the family are considerable.
Such cases as these do not, of course, constitute a problem at all, but there is an
obvious necessity for finding accommodation for families who overcrowd only
because they cannot afford to do anything else. Having regard to the cost of
housing in St. Marylebone it does not appear to be the kind of place in which such
families can be housed, though in the meantime they are one of the chief difficulties
in the way of housing progress in the Borough.
Action taken.—Marked as overcrowding was in a number of cases, those in
which it was possible to take action without inflicting serious hardship upon the
individuals were few. A certain number, of course, were accepted as tenants by
the L.C.C., and in a few by means of re-arrangements the worst features associated
with the overcrowding were modified. That any marked effect was produced
cannot be claimed.
4. Fitness of houses.
(a) Difficulties found in action under the Public Health Acts or under
Section 3 of the Housing Act, 1925.—None experienced.
(b) Special measures taken or suggested, e.g., in relation to particular
types of insanitary property or in regard to arrangements for the
gradual carrying out of programmes of repair.—See page 71.
(c) Extent to which houses have not an adequate internal water supply,
distinguishing those houses supplied by—
(a) private, and (b) common supplies.—None.
(d) Extent to which houses have no water closet or other adequate
sanitary accommodation within their own curtilage, distinguishing
those having—
(a) Private. (b) Common accommodation.—None.
The procedure adopted in connection with defects is described elsewhere. The
hope is that in the areas in which the most defective and unsatisfactory property
exists schemes of clearance and improvement will be carried out under the Housing
Act, 1930. The steps taken in the direction of securing this are described below.
5. Unhealthy areas.
Extent to which areas of the district are unhealthy, with information as to
complaints received or representations made, and action taken, in regard to any of
these areas.
Carlisle Street Improvement Scheme.—Considerable progress has been made
in connection with the carrying out by the London County Council of the Carlisle
Street Improvement Scheme, and it is hoped that actual building operations will be
commenced in the near future. During the year, the Borough Council had submitted
to them a plan of the preliminary lay-out of the scheme, from which it was
noted that the scheme provides for the erection of seven blocks of dwellings comprising
in all about 300 tenements containing some 920 rooms with accommodation
(on the basis of two persons per room) for 1,840 persons compared with the
minimum of 1,800 persons for whom accommodation must be provided within the
area in order to comply with the scheme as approved by the Minister of Health.
In order to assist the County Council in dealing with the clearance of the
portion of the area upon which it was proposed to commence building operations,
the Borough Council acceded to the request of the County Council to be allowed to
nominate applicants for any vacant housing accommodation in the Borough
Council's dwellings, in consideration of the County Council accepting as their
tenants persons nominated by the Borough Council, the exchange being dealt with
on a room for room basis.
The form of quinquennial statement sent by the Council to the L.C.C. in
accordance with a request for information under the Housing Act, 1930, reproduced
below, relates to the areas of the Borough which appear to be most urgently
in need of attention.