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93
No. 40 was defective and dangerous.
The brickwork was largely composed of soft bricks.
The brickwork, roof, or flushing apparatus were defective in 25 of the water
closets.
The rents varied from 6s. 6d. to 10s. a week. The rents of most of the houses
had been raised sixpence a week during the year previous to the date on which I
made the official representation. The rents of six houses were raised 2s. a week
during the previous two years, and of one 1s. 6d. a week.
Fairclough Street.—With the exoeption of No. 1—which had no yard—all the
houses had basement rooms, the ceilings of which were on a level with the public
footway, and the floors were on a level with the yard paving. The front walls were
unprotected from the dampness of the soil, and were consequently always in a damp
condition. In some instances boards had been placed to conceal it.
The basement rooms had not sufficient light and ventilation.
There was no ventilation beneath the ground floor.
The yards at the rear of these houses, with one exception, had an area of 100
feet.
The brickwork of Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 23, 25, and 27, was decayed and bulging.
The brickwork of Nos. 15 to 21 had been recently repaired and was in fair
condition. The woodwork, however, of these houses, as well as the floors, stairs,
doors, window-sashes were dilapidated. The stairs leading to the basements were
steep, narrow, and dangerous.
The brickwork and flushing apparatus were defective in 3 of the water-closets.
The rents varied from 6s. to 10s. a week, and in three instances had been raised
1s. a week during the previous year.
Gloucester Buildings.— Each building contains four small rooms and a yard.
The buildings are approached from the east side of Back Church Lane by an entrance
which is closed by a pair of iron gates to all but those on foot. The other end is a
cul-de-sac. The court in front of the houses is 214 feet long by 17 feet wide, and is
paved with asphalte. The ground floors of the basement rooms are unventilated,
many of them being below the level of the footway. The lower part of the walls is
damp owing to inferior bricks having been used and the absence of damp-proof
courses. With the exception of No. 7 the brickwork of the front walls was in a failcondition.
The brickwork of many of the back walls as well as that of the waterclosets
was decayed and bulging.