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37
Relationship to Future Housing Development.
The results of our Preliminary Survey showed that only some 500 of the
estimated number of 1000 slum houses in the Borough are situated within the
boundaries of the 10 areas surveyed for re-development. In these 10 areas
the percentage of Category "A" houses (i.e., unfit for habitation) varied
from 1.5 per cent. to 68.3 per cent., the average being 32.4 per cent, (roughly
one-third). If therefore it were decided to re-develop these areas it would be
necessary to demolish twice as many fit as unfit houses in order to make room
for the new plan of development. It will be difficult to convince public
opinion that this is the only practicable method of dealing with the slum
problem in Leyton; and certainly it will be cold comfort for the tenants
of slum houses to be told that, because of the Council's long-term planning
commitments, insanitary houses elsewhere in the Borough must remain
standing while houses of good habitable standard are demolished in the
re-development areas.
We are of the opinion that it would be impossible to adhere strictly to
any long-term scheme of re-development without taking into account the
overwhelming need to deal independendy with aggregations of insanitary
property (whether within or without the areas selected for re-development)
either as slum clearance areas or by individual demolition, and whenever
practicable to make use of the site by building new houses or flats. Whether
such new houses should be permanent or temporary would be influenced
by such considerations as the urgency of the immediate need, the planning
requirements and the purposes (i.e., residential, industrial, open space, etc.)
for which the sites are zoned under the long-term development plan for the
Borough.
But whatever plans may be made for the future re-development of the
Borough and for the clearance of slum houses, many years must elapse before
their fulfilment. As the rate of demolition must keep pace with the rate of
replacement, the process must of necessity be very slow owing to the lack of
building sites. Under the circumstances a substantial proportion of the
sub-standard property in Leyton may have to be retained and maintained
for housing purposes for many years to come—possibly for as long as 20 years
in some cases, and it is inevitable that with the passage of time the problem
of maintaining existing houses in a habitable state will become progressively
more difficult, and that there is bound to take place a consequent increase
in the number of houses classifiable as slums.
Deferred Demolition.
The Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954, contains additional powers
to enable local authorities to deal with their problems of slum clearance.
Briefly, the Government's proposals are:—
The Minister envisages an interim stage in the process of clearing
slums. Part III of the Housing Act, 1936, has been amended so as to
enable local authorities to proceed with the action which normally leads
to demolition (Declaration of slum clearance area; submission to the
Minister of a compulsory purchase order ; public inquiry, etc.) but to
defer actual demolition of the houses until they can carry the process to
its proper conclusion. The local authority may acquire whole or