View report page

140
obtainable if only a proper number of persons had inhabited the
premises. If the premises are in a bad sanitary state, or are not
in good repair, the amount of compensation is to be estimated as
their value, if they had been put into a sanitary condition or into
good repair, after deducting the estimated expense of putting them
into such condition or repair. But if the premises are unfit, and
not reasonably capable of being made fit, for human habitation,
compensation is to be given to the extent of the value of the land
and of the materials of the buildings thereon. Very important
provisions these!
THE BETHNAL GREEN SCHEME.
It was not long before the County Council had an opportunity
of ascertaining, by a practical test, the value of the new Act, their
attention having been directed to a Scheme for improving an unhealthy
area in Bethnal Green, by a report of the Housing of the
Working Classes Committee, arising out of an Official Representation
made to the Council, under Part 1, by the Medical Officer of
Health for that Parish. The subject being of importance to
every Sanitary Authority, all having to contribute, proportionally
to rateable value, to the cost of schemes carried out under Part 1
of the Act, it may be well to place on record, in some detail, particulars
in regard to the "Boundary Area Scheme," and to the
action of the Council in regard thereto—premising that, at the
present time, no part of the scheme has been carried into eifect;
that the area cannot be acquired before the end of 1892; and that
at least five, possibly seven, years will elapse before the scheme
can be completed, as it has been decided to deal with the area
in three sections.
The following extract from the Committee's report will give
an idea of the character of the property proposed to be dealt
with:—
"The total area is about 15 acres in extent" (the entire parish
comprising 755 acres). "The streets" (from 20 to 28 feet in width) "are
20 in number. The average population per room is about 2i, and 107 rooms
have 5 or more inhabitants each. There are many small courts of a very