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out under schedules, served under the Housing Acts, last, approximately,
5 years—due to the rough user of the premises by the
tenants, and the decayed and old and dilapidated condition structurally
of the premises when re-conditioned under schedules. This is
a real difficulty, and is well illustrated by the houses in Linnet
Street (1 to 18 and 18£ to 30), and Providence Place (1 to 10),
to which official attention has recently been specially drawn.
These houses were scheduled in 1921-2 and dealt with at that
time under Provisional Schedules to the satisfaction of the Housing
Inspectors. A re-inspection has been made and the houses are
found to be again, due to wear and tear, in an unsatisfactory
condition—inside walls dilapidated and interiors of rooms dirty,
with defective gutterings and rain water pipes and roofs and broken
stoves. There are considerable arrears of rents owing and necessary
repairs have been held in abeyance in consequence. The above
property is old and decayed, so much so that it was suggested in 1924
(15th May) for representation for an improvement scheme (under
the 1890 Housing Act) to the London County Council in place of
the China Walk Area, and as an alternative (worse and more urgent)
area. The London County Council, however, decided otherwise,
and chose the China Walk Area. Linnet Street consists of 34 small
houses, and Providence Place of 8 two-roomed cottages and one
cottage of four rooms. The work now required at Linnet Street
and Providence Place (and the same applies to other similar properties)
is work that can be better carried out under the Public
Health Act by the District Sanitary Inspectors, to whom such work
is now being referred as required.
Murphy Buildings (Murphy Street, Oakley Street) teach the
same lesson. These houses were surveyed and dealt with by the
Housing Inspectors in 1921, and the necessary work, at that time,
under the Provisional Schedules of the Housing Act, was carried
out satisfactorily. The wear and tear by the tenants is considerable.
A re-inspection has been made, with the result that the premises
are found to be dirty (requiring redecoration) and out of repair
(dilapidated) almost as badly as they were in 1921. The attention
of the owner was drawn to the matter by letter, and the buildings
have now been again put into a fair state of decorative and general
repair, although the badly-designed sanitary arrangements, necessarily,
remain unaltered, as any such alterations would involve
structural reconstruction, or rebuilding, even if such were
practicable.
Waxwell Terrace, Westminster Bridge Road.
The Provision Schedules under the Housing Act, which were
served in connection with Waxwell Terrace, which has always been
a "black spot" in North Lambeth from a sanitary point of view—