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65
bad lighting and the lack of air space prohibits their being classed
otherwise than as insanitary and unhealthy.
The owners are The Co-operative Printing Society.
Agents : Messrs. Clare & Sons, 25, Blackfriars Road, S.E.
This area was still under consideration of the Housing Committee
at the completion of the time covered by this report.
COMUS PLACE AND CORNBURY STREET AREA.
It was suggested at a Conference on the Lock Square Area held
at the County Hall on April 14th, that the Borough Council might be
prepared to consider acquiring an area situated in Comus Place and
Cornbury Street, near the Old Kent Road with a view to building
working class dwellings; and as a result of this suggestion I have
thoroughly inspected this area and have had a survey made, the result
of which I beg to report to the Housing Committee.
The area in question is bounded by one side of Comus Place, Swan
Buildings, part of Cornbury Street and a line separating St. Georges
and All Saints districts.
The boundary streets are narrow but the gardens in some instances
are large and give an air space to these houses which is ample compensation
for the narrowness of the fronts and are also a source of
occupation to the inhabitants.
Mailing Place, a cul-de-sac, has garden or forecourt space to each
house.
Swan Buildings, a narrow alley, is closely built in, but taken alone
is of no use for re-housing.
The houses are old but by no means decayed and with attention
have still several years of life before them.
They are inconveniently planned, inasmuch as the stairs lead in
most instances from the sitting rooms, but they are well kept and in
fair repair.
A few front walls bulge and in these instances, notices have already
been served by the District Surveyor.
The tenants are respectable working class people, and can by no
means be classed as slum dwellers, nor is this slum property.
The loss of air space caused by building high tenement dwellings
on the site of the gardens would be more detriment than advantage; the