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A Public Local Inquiry in respect of the first stage of the second area - the
Leyton Housing (Beaumont Road Area) Compulsory Purchase Order, 1959, was held in the
Town Hall on Wednesday 5th October, 1960. The order embraced five clearance areas
together with adjoining lands, the whole comprising a net area of approximately 6.34
acres. The inquiry was ordered by the Minister of Housing and Local Government to enable
persons who objected to their properties being included in the Compulsory Purchase
Order, either on the grounds that the properties were not unfit for human habitation,
or because of other personal or business reasons, to be heard.
It is now known that the Compulsory Purchase Order was confirmed by the Minister
without any material modification. The officers' interpretation of the complex and
controversial standard as to what might be considered to be a house unfit for habitation
within the terms of the Housing Acts was in every case upheld by the Minister, this
provides a reliable established basis on which to classify houses in future clearance
schemes.
The Inquiry marked the last stage of a lengthy procedure which began in September,
1958, with a detailed inspection of all houses in the areas by the Public Health
Inspectorate.
At its meeting on 10th November, 1959, the Public Health Committee recommended the
Council to declare the aforementioned areas to be clearance areas in accordance with
the provisions of section 42 of the Housing Act, 1957, and referred to the Housing and
Town Planning Committee the question of the steps to be taken to secure the clearance
and re-development of the areas and the re-housing of persons to be displaced. At its
meeting on 17th November, 1959, the Housing and Town Planning Committee supported the
recommendation of the Public Health Committee, and recommended the Council to make a
Compulsory Purchase Order to purchase lands in the clearance areas, and also additional
lands surrounded by, and adjacent to, the clearance areas, considered necessary to
secure a site of convenient shape and dimensions for satisfactory development.
The above recommendations were confirmed by the Council at its meeting on 26th
November, 1959.
In addition to the Beaumont Road Scheme, a small area adjoining the Crescent Road
area was made the subject of a further order, this being the Leyton Housing (Carlisle
Road Area) Compulsory Purchase Order, 1959. The Order comprised a clearance area of 10
houses, together with other land. A public inquiry was ordered to be held on 2nd
February, 1960, but prior agreement was reached with an objector and the inquiry was
cancelled. The Ministry of Housing and Local Government confirmed the Order without
modification on 22nd April, 1960.
Along with the official representations to the Public Health Committee in respect
of the Carlisle Road and Beaumont Road Clearance Areas in March, 1959, and October,
1959, respectively, the Medical Officer of Health submitted reports prepared jointly
with the Chief Public Health Inspector on the main and material conditions existing in
the areas which led to the conclusion that all the houses were unfit for habitation or
were, by reason of their bad arrangement, dangerous or injurious to the health of the
inhabitants of the areas and that the most satisfactory method of dealing with conditions
in the areas was by demolition of all the buildings. It may be of interest to recall
some of the features included in the joint reports and to illustrate certain of these
features with photographs. (Please refer to photographs between pages 14 and 15 when
reading the outline report which follows).
Boundaries of the Clearance Areas and Number of Buildings -
BEAUMONT ROAD AREAS
The five clearance areas are bounded on the north-west by Capworth Street, on
(12)