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60
ALEXANDRA PALACE AND GROUNDS.
The scheme proposed by Mr. Littler, Q.C., as Chairman of the
Middlesex County Council, for acquiring the park for the benefit of the
inhabitants of North London, and the Bill promoted by the London
Financial Association for dealing with a portion of the estate as a
building site, have both been, the former it is to be hoped but
temporarily, abandoned. This exceptional site ought sooner or
later be acquired not in the interests of North London but in that of
the Metropolis.
HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES ACT, 1890.
Norfolk Square Area.
The Vestry, in December, 1891, had referred it to the newly
constituted Public Health Committee to prepare a scheme for dealing
with a certain block of small property in the neighbourhood of
Ecclesbourne Road under part II. of the Housing of the Working
Classes Act, 1890, and that Committee on July 15th, 1892, presented
a report a copy of which will be found in the appendix.
The scheme included in the report proposed to acquire and
demolish the existing buildings, to appropriate a portion of it as a
public playground, and to erect industrial dwellings capable of
accommodating 102 persons on the remainder, the nett cost being
estimated at £7,834. The seheme was subsequently adopted by the
Vestry on the understanding that the London County Council should
contribute one-half the cost which that body agreed to do. The
necessary notices having been served upon the various parties
interested, the Local Government Board was requested to sanction
the scheme, but, before doing so, held an enquiry (March 17th, 1893)
by their Inspector, Mr. S. J. Smith, C.E., at the Vestry Hall when
the Vestry the London County Council and certain of the parties
interested were represented, and evidence was tendered in favour of the
scheme. Although not within the year with which this report deals
the scheme subsequently received the Board's sanction, but so numerous
are the formalities the Act requires, and so tedious are the negotiations
for the purchase of the numerous interests likely to prove, that some
considerable time must elapse before it can be carried into effect.