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Continuing the Council's policy of dealing with outworn properties under Housing Act
procedure, a detailed inspection of a further two hundred and fifty dwellings has been made. These
properties will be the second stage of the Avenue Road Slum Clearance/Redevelopment Area, and
it is hoped to report to the Housing Committee early in 1966.
Despite the considerable number of houses which were the subject of Clearance Order
procedure, large numbers of properties have been dealt with by the Public Health Inspectorate.
Sub-standard houses which it has not yet been possible to include in current areas present their
own problems when it becomes necessary to enforce owners to carry out essential repairs to
maintain houses wind and weathertight and tolerably fit for habitation.
But what of the future?
It is the wish of the Council to build a balanced community, where the different types of
individuals and families with their very varied wishes, needs and essentials can each find a place
in comfort together. In doing this it is important to realise firstly that one does not start from
scratch. The community is already unbalanced in two respects at least — there are far too many
old and handicapped people in relation to the housing available. In 1961 there were 7,106 old age
pensioners living alone and 11,406 in two person households where both were pensioners. These
18,512 people were those most likely to benefit from housing closely related to community living
in one way or another, and the number will be much higher by now.
The second point to realise is that, allowing for the realisation of the most ambitious plans,
it is still only a small portion of the total housing in the borough which is to be replaced by slum
clearance and reconstruction. Therefore if the balanced community is to be constructed in the
borough as a whole it is essential that new schemes contain well above average provision for the
old and the handicapped, and that communal schemes of every kind for these classes of people be
generously provided to compensate for those areas where no change in general housing provision
will occur.
The extensive building programme cannot fail to be a great step forward. To build the
compassionate community it must be a double step forward as far as the old, the infirm, the mentally
and physically inadequate or socially difficult members are concerned.
The pressure on the ordinary housing list distracts attention from this problem, but when
in a few years the pressure is relieved it will be too late to integrate special classes into a
completed scheme. The pressure by these classes -particularly the old-shows largely as intense
pressure for the very expensive residential homes. This is partly because of the lack of special
housing built years ago. If a community is to be constructed which does not contain aggregations
of people classed by handicap, an urgent and vigorous start must be made now in building them
into integrated schemes.
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