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In February, 1945, the Housing Committee (in response to a request
from the Council that all Committees should submit reports on the land
which would be required for the work of their respective committees
in the future) reported that, for Housing purposes, 100 acres of land
would be required. After considering the reports of all committees, the
Council accepted the view expressed by the Building Control and Town
Planning Committee that, except for the pre-war housing site in Beck
Lane and the three and a half acres in Balmoral Avenue, there was no
land available in the Borough for the erection of Corporation houses.
Subsequently, the Council decided to inform the Minister of Health
that they were interested in the question of providing municipal houses
outside the Borough, and to enquire of that Department as to the
possibility of the Authority contributing towards the construction of
one of the satellite towns: the Council also decided to consider again
[whether there were suitable sites available in the Borough for municipal
houses.
In 1947 the Council approved the purchase of land in West
Wickham which would provide space for the erection of 46 houses.
In 1947, the Public Health Department carried out a Housing
Survey. Particulars of occupation were obtained from 94% of the
dwellings in the Borough. The Survey shewed that there were still
626 families who had insufficient accommodation, and that there were
a further 2,403 families occupying rooms in other peoples' houses and
who were without separate facilities for cooking, washing and other
domestic purposes.
As time went on the Balmoral Avenue and Beck Lane Schemes
were completed, the conversion of large houses into flats was continued,
a number of pre-fabricated bungalows had been erected and occupied,
and more land was required for the erection of houses.
At the end of 1949, the Council had provided:—
165 Temporary Bungalows
126 Permanent Municipal houses (including flats for old
people).
298 Flats by the conversion of large houses.
In addition, at the end of 1949, 883 families were housed in 510
Requisitioned properties.
The provision of accommodation for 1,472 families since the end
the war can be recognised as representing a considerable achievement
as in interim measure. But the outlook for the future is most dis-
quieting.
1.It appears, from the decisions of the Council, that there are no
more sites available in Beckenham for the provision of municipal
housing estates, although it may be possible to find sites for a few
houses, such sites will be too small to make any substantial
contribution to the housing needs.
This has been appreciated by the Housing Committee, who have
reported to the Council that there were a large number of
applicants on the waiting list who had no chance of being provided
for in the fore-seeable future.
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