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49
of the above area, that I had carefully inspected the houses
with the Medical Officer, and I submitted a plan of a scheme
from which it appeared that to deal with the site in the most
complete manner the following premises would have to be
Acquired, viz.: Nos 109 111, 113, 115 and 117, Brook Street;
Nos. 1 to 8, Queen Catherine Court; Nos. 1 to 8. Little Queen
Catherine Court; Nos. 36, 36a and 38, Caroline Street; Nos. 1
to 5, Susannah Row and No. 31, Dorset Street, the total area
of which was nearly 12,000 feet super ; my estimate of the cost
of acquiring the property being £7,270. I also submitted a plan
of an alternative scheme, which would lessen the cost by
diminishing the area, comprising the houses in Queen Catherine
Court, Little queen Catherine Court, Susannah Row, and
Nos. 36, 36a and 38, Caroline Street, the cost of acquiring which
I estimated at £3.787, the area being nearly 8,350 feet. In view
of the importance of the matter the Committee adjourned the
consideration thereof until their first meeting in June.
The Committee subsequently considered the scheme and
inspected the area, and on the 8th July the Board on their
recommendation postponed the further consideration thereof
until the decision of the London County Council was given with
regard to the proposed new road from Dorset Street to Broad
Street.
In October the Council informed the Board that they were
not prepared to undertake the improvement in question, and the
question of dealing with the area was therepon re-opened by the
Sanitary Committee, who before taking any further steps
directed that the C ouncil should be asked whether there was any
probablility of the site cleared by the late Metropolitan Board
of Works—within a few yards of the area—being utilised for
artiznas' dwellings and, if so, the probable time when the works
Would be carried out. The reply of the Council, read at the
meeting of the Board on the 2nd December, was to the effect
that the site referred to would be put up to auction in January,
and would be subject to the condition that cottage dwellings
should be erected thereon. At the same time another letter
from the Council was read stating that unless schemes for the
improvement of the Queen Catherine Court and other areas were
prepared by the Board, and the necessary notices to the owners