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27
(d) General.
The following Report is kindly supplied by Mr. J. E. West,
your Council's Housing Manager during the year under review:—
"Priory Court comprising 20 six-storey blocks of flats
was completed during 1950 and the work of laying-out the
grounds of the Estate is now being carried out by contractors.
This estate, the first of its kind in Walthamstow, has proved
of immense benefit to the housing problem of the Borough and
while it is not advocated that flats are more desirable than
houses, it must be borne in mind that sites available in the
Borough for building of houses are now to all intents and
purposes non-existent. Therefore, the Council must make the
most of all land that is at their disposal.
"Other schemes completed were the 105 houses on the
Brookfield Estate and three blocks at Oak Hill Court comprising
36 flats. The 48 houses on the Montalt Estate have also been
erected and are now in full occupation. The 22 flats included
in the Montalt scheme will be ready for occupation during
1951.
"The policy of the transfer of tenants and co-operation with
private landlords mentioned in previous Reports has been
actively pursued and it is pleasurable to record that the negotiations
involved have proved well worth while. This is borne
out by the fact that although 257 new properties became
available for letting during the year, suitable accommodation
was obtained for 308 families on the register.
"The rehousing of families living in overcrowded conditions
is still our major problem. It was serious in the pre-war
years but in fact was overcome just prior to the outbreak of
war. I cannot see an early solution to the problem existing
to-day, when due regard be paid to the facts available, i.e. 677
families living in overcrowded conditions on our register, with
an authorised building programme of 500 houses by the end
of 1952 which, in turn, involves the development of all vacant
building sites and Walthamstow will be a completely built-up
area. Regard must, however, be given to the fact that the
building of houses is being treated at National level and it is
pleasing to know that the Council has been able to comply
with the building quota authorised by the Ministry of Health.
"Of all the housing problems facing the Council, however,
I consider that of the young married couple living with " inlaws
"and those awaiting marriage, to be the most tragic and
apparently insoluble unless drastic measures are undertaken to
prevent broken marriages, disruption of home life— yes,