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32
Tottenham's application to the Minister for the establishment of a
Smokeless Zone in the Mark field area was submitted and approved during the
year. The order will come into operation in January, 1955.
Housing
The main preoccupation of the Council in matters of housing has, hither
to, been concerned with providing houses for the many applicants on the list.
Emphasis in the near future must, however, be "new houses for old," if
the tempo of slum clearance is not to be retarded.
Circular 30/54 issued by the Ministry of Housing & Local Government in
March states that it is an essential part of Government housing policy that
local authorities should regard the work of slum clearance as "a matter of
urgency". With the full approval of the Council the department has gone
ahead in these matters, and two further areas were represented during the year.
The first dealt with White Hart Lane and the adjoining area involving some 130
houses. The second area dealt with the next phase of the Tewkesbury redevelopment
and includes over 70 houses. A total of over 300 houses have
been represented since the work of slum clearance recommenced.
Nothing is more frustrating than to receive complaints from the occupants
of insanitary and worn out houses knowing that nothi ng can put them right.
It is therefore with much satisfaction that we shall be able to deal with
these black spots as clearance areas.
While in the past we have deal t with this class of property purely as
clearance areas on public health grounds, future schemes must have regard to
planning requirements. Building land in the Bbmugh is almost non-existent
and some effort will be required to deal with areas which allow room for a
favourable balance of houses. An increased density of redevelopment would
assist in this.
A public inquiry in connection with the Hale Clearance Area was held in
July - the result is not yet known.
In addition to ascertaining the unfit houses requiring to be dealt with,
it has been necessary to review all aspects of housing so that clearance
schemes can be co-ordinated with the building programme. As Tottenham is
fully built up it is necessary to plan for the rehousing of families displaced
from clearance areas in dwellings to be erected on previously cleared sites.
Other obstacles which have to be met are the need to provide accommodation for
urgent cases requiring rehousing and the rehousing of families in requisitioned
houses.