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23
overcrowding exists the housing circumstances are nevertheless far
from generally satisfactory. In some cases this is well nigh inevitable
but this is not the case in other instances; it has been by no means
exceptional for the Council to re-house an applicant only to find
that the space vacated by them is filled by another in like circumstances.
This situation could react unfairly to the prejudice of other
applicants if the situation was not investigated in detail.
General District Development.
1 have noted that 1,857 houses were built privately—171 by
Hornchurch Council and 92 by other local authorities. The major
development took place in the Upminster and Cranham area and in
South Hornchurch, in each of which areas private building and
Council development took place side by side. This situation has of
course had its repercussions and the questions of sewage provision
and refuse collection and disposal were clearly of paramount
importance. It is to be hoped that the "Green belt" will not be
interpreted too flexibly as even in this district what country remains
to us in the proximity of our urban development might well be
allowed permanently to remain as country.
Caravans.
There is in the district still one large and one small unauthorised
site—the former of long duration, the latter of recent
origin. Although it is far from easy always to produce positive
evidence of conditions prejudicial to health, it is certainly clear that
conditions at unauthorised sites can seldom do other than prejudice
the amenity of the district. The fact that they are unauthorised
naturally acts as a deterrent to the provision of those amenities
which the owner might be encouraged to provide and the Local
Authority might be encouraged to demand were the site to be of a
permanent character. The result is that the persons living on these
sites may very often be the victims of circumstances with little
apparent prospect of doing other than paying dearly for accommodation
which they would not under normal circumstances choose.
Their position therefore, is not one which I would envy. It would
be as unwise to generalise as to the position of unauthorised sites as
it is to generalise on anything and obviously conditions do vary from
site to site. Unless, however, a caravan site is officially authorised
with its concomitant relatively high standard of amenity then the
district is well without it. Whether a built-up area is in any event
the site of election for a permanently occupied caravan site is a
matter for conjecture. Generally I do not think that it is.
Certain itinerant caravaners, gipsies and the like, do in small
numbers spend a day or so at various spots throughout the district.
Sited as we are and with the somewhat rural character of certain
parts of our area, it is almost inevitable that this should happen. It
is to be regretted in that the caravaners on departing practically
always leave visible evidence of their stay but by and large our
worries in this connection are small and the stay of these people is
practically never protracted.