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1.12.2 In 1967 the large house at 68, Shoot-up Hill was acquired by the Council. It was
hoped also to acquire the adjoining house, No.66, but owing to legal difficulties this has
not proved to be possible. It was at first intended that No.68 should be adapted by the
Council for other purposes, but the structural defects made this an uneconomic proposition
and the proposal was abandoned.
1.12.3 The Council agreed that the site should be made available to the Health
Committee, and the first proposal was that a prefabricated building should be erected for
use as a day nursery until the adjoining property was acquired, when it would be replaced
by a permanent day nursery using the double site. Because of the legal difficulty in
acquiring No. 66 and on advice from the (then) Ministry of Health the scheme was altered
so as to provide a permanent day nursery on the site of No.68.
1.12.4 Owing to the limited area available, the size of the day nursery has had to be
restricted to 40-42 places, and the existing building line regulates the position of the
building within the site.
1-12.5 Mr. Mark Robertson of the Borough Architect's Department, who was mainly
sponsible for planning the Regent's Park Day Nursery, had designed for this site a day
nursery on two floors which provides five group rooms, of which one is intended for 5 or 6
babies and one for 8 handicapped children. Plans of the proposed building are shown
on page (v).
1.12.6 It is hoped, in view of the needs of the Borough and of this neighbourhood in
particular, that the scheme will be included in the Urban Programme and that building
will commence at the beginning of 1970.
ABBEY ESTATE HEALTH CENTRE
13.1 The Abbey Estate, which includes a large number of houses in the Abbey Road/
Belsize Road/Alexandra Road area of N.W.6, was purchased by the former Hampstead
Borough Council from the Eyre Estate. The various portions of the housing development
are to be linked by pedestrian walkways forming bridges above the roads and so separating
pedestrians from vehicular traffic.
1.13.2 The focal point of the development is the triangular site bounded by Belsize Road,
Abbey Road and Priory Terrace, and it was proposed to include on this site a health
centre a day nursery, shops and flats. On examination of the proposals by the Borough
Architect it was not found possible to allow sufficient space with a satisfactory aspect
to provide a day nursery, but it was proposed that the health centre should be provided on
the first floor of a large building which would also include 70 flats, together with shops
and a public house.
1.13.3 At the outset there was none too enthusiastic but still adequate support for a
health centre from local general practitioners, and following the preparation of a brief the
Borough Architect proceeded with sketch plans which allowed for the whole of one floor of
the very complicated building being reserved for the health centre. It was at this stage
that difficulties became apparent in that the area to be used by the health centre was
fixed and did not allow of any expansion or contraction, and that before any contractcould
be entered into it would be necessary to obtain loan sanction both from the Ministry of
Housing and Local Government for the housing portion of the building and from the (then)
Ministry of Health for the health centre at the same time. There was then little, if any
guidance on the design or costs of health centres.
1.13.4 A partnership of two doctors then withdrew from the scheme, and it seemed that
it would not remain a viable proposition. The withdrawal of the health centre proposed
would, however mean the re-casting of the whole housing scheme on which a very considerable
amount of time had been spent, and on further enquiry it was found that some
other doctors in the area were now interested, together with three local dentists. Some
time later the Executive Council stated, unfortunately, that accommodation for dentists
would not be required.
1.13.5 An amended brief was prepared, but in view of the delays which had already
occurred and the necessity for some restriction on capital expenditure, work on the
scheme was stopped until some assurances could be received from the Inner London
Executive Council and the Inner London Education Authority as to their responsibility,
when the policy could be decided.
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