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1963. 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 houses were not unfit for habitation, or because
of personal or other business reasons, to be heard. The decision of the Minister has
since been received and the Order has been confirmed, subject to minor modifications.
The remainder of the Avenue Road Area will be proceeded with in due course.
A detailed inspection of properties included in the third of the Council's main
re-development areas is in progress and nearing completion. Altogether some 1,277
inspections under the Housing Acts have been carried out during the course of the year.
It may be of interest to recall some of the points included in the report submitted
to the Public Health Committee detailing the main and material conditions affecting
properties in the Avenue Road/Morris Road Clearance Area and to illustrate certain of
these features with photographs. (Please refer to photographs between pages 16 and 17
when reading the outline report which follows).
BOUNDARIES OF THE CLEARANCE AREA AND NUMBER OF BUILDINGS
The area includes all the houses in Morris Road and the odd numbers in
Avenue Road. Altogether there are 36 dwelling houses, with a total population
of 64 families, comprising 193 persons. The average number of persons
per house is 5.4
TYPE AND DESCRIPTION OF DWELLING HOUSES
Nos. 1 to 25 (odd) Avenue Road form part of a terrace of two-storey
properties of similar type situated on the easterly side of the road; No. 1
being at the southern end of the terrace. The rear of this terrace backs
on to the rear of a terrace of similar properties in Morris Road - numbered
2 to 38 (even). Nos.37 to 43 (odd) Avenue Road form a separate terrace at
the northern end of the road. All houses in the area have through ventilation
and yard space at rear, and with the exception of Nos.37 and 39 Avenue
Road, the back addition structures contain two storeys. Avenue Road properties
have forecourts about six feet deep, but there are no forecourts to the
Morris Road houses, the front doors opening direct on to the street; frontages
of all properties are approximately 15 feet. Access is at the front
only, except at No.37 Avenue Road, which has side access to main and rear
entrances. The construction is traditional-brick walls, central valley
gutter roofs on the main structures and pitched roofs on the back additions;
roof coverings on houses in Avenue Road are mainly of tiles; those in Morris
Road mainly corrugated asbestos. Timber floors (except where replaced by
concrete) and Joinery work; plaster walls and ceilings. W.Cs are entered
externally. With a few exceptions, internal accommodation consists of three
rooms and small "L" shaped scullery (floor area approximately 30 sq.ft.)
on the ground floor, and three rooms and scullery on the first floor. Nos.
37 and 39 Avenue Road, each have two rooms and scullery on the ground floor
and two rooms on the first floor. Mains water supply is provided over sinks
in both ground floor and first floor sculleries. Four houses have fixed
baths in separate bathrooms (converted from sculleries) and three others
have fixed baths in sculleries. All houses have ground floor passages from
which staircases and rooms are entered.
PRINCIPAL GROUNDS OF UNFITNESS FOR HABITATION
Following is a summary of the principal grounds for being satisfied that
the houses coloured pink on the map are unfit for habitation. The majority
(16)