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"within a certain area under the jurisdiction of the local authority,
" are unfit for human habitation, or that diseases indicating a generally
"low condition of health among the population have been from time to
"time prevalent in a certain area within the jurisdiction of the
"local authority, and that such prevalence may be reasonably attributed
"to the closeness, narrowness, and bad arrangement or the bad con"
dition of the streets and houses or groups of houses within such
" area, or to the want of light, air, ventilation, or proper conveniences,
" or to any other sanitary defects, or to one or more of such causes,
" and that the evils connected with such houses, courts or alleys,
"and the sanitary defects in such area, cannot be effectually
" remedied otherwise than by an improvement scheme for the rearrangement
and re-construction of the street and houses
" within such area, or of some of such streets or houses, the
" local authority shall take such representation into their consideration,
&c." The local authority in this case, is the
Metropolitan Board of Works.
1 will examine the question of the individual Courts, &c.;—
Stratton Place.—I condemned this Court under Cross's Act
in 1875, but the Metropolitan Board of Works did not take up
the case. I quite agree with the suggestion of the Special
Committee that the Court should be abolished; but it would be
hard to state that the premises were in such condition, or so
dangerous to health, as to be unfit for habitation. It contains
43 inhabitants, 17 of whom are under 12 years of age. No case
of infectious disease has occurred there during the past year.
Francis Court.—These houses have back ventilation, back
yards, each a separate closet. It is hardly fair to call it a Blind
Alley, for it is 14 feet wide throughout, and 102 feet long. The
removal of the end houses would be a decided advantage.
Berkley Court. —The suggestion of the Committee, that a
thoroughfare should be made through the Court, is valuable, if it
can be carried out.
Eagle Court.—The removal of the archways at both ends
would be a great improvement.
Jerusalem Court.—The archways here should also be removed.
Aylesbury Place.—The widening of the entry would be a
very great improvement.