Evening star., 1901-11-28
HOUSING LONDON'S POOR
THE COUNTY COUNCIL CLEARING
AWAY SLUM DISTRICTS.
Two Hundred and Fifty Blocks OF
Worlingmen's Dwellings APP
proach Completion.
From the London Express.

From the London Express. -,15
In avery short time the London common
council will possess 2J0 blocks of work
mems dwellings. yielding a yearly rental
of f161, 900. Last Tuesday, in spite Of the
cheered statement of Mr.. Beachcroft that
slum owners should be penalized instead
of compensated 1t was decided to clear
away another acre of dens in Poplar, and
to pay the landlords $4,000 for land which,
when cleared, will be worth 1,5OO, and
upon which 400 persons will be accommo-
dated. Now and again we hear of big
schemes for housing the people; but few,
except, perhaps, the members of the hous-
ing committee, have any knowledge Of the
gigantic operations now being undertaken,
or about to be. involving. as they will, an
expenditure Of close upon IA 000, 600, and
providing housing accommodation for over
5000 persons. in addition to the many
thousands already enjoying the comfort
able surroundings of municipal houses.
By the end of January next Gainsbor-
ough. Reynolds. Landseer. Mulready, Nor
land, Wilkie, Lawrence and Maclise build
ings, on the Miibank estate, will be finish
ed, and be fully ready for occupation a
month afterward by the 2,2O0 people who
will soon be hurrying to get their names
on the councils books. In February dwell
ings for 2S6 persons will be ready at Bat
tersea bridge, and in May following Sheri-
dan, Beaumont and Fletcher buildings on
the Dukes Court site, will be ready for 61O
tenants. In July Seymour and Somerset
buildings, In the Churchway, St Pancras
will be finished for the accommodation of
472 persons.
Improvement in ClerkenyveII.
The councils works department is now
engaging in eXcavating on the Reid's
brewery site in Clerkenwell. This work
alone will cost f15,0O0. while six blocks of
buildings to be erected on part Of it are ex-
pected to cost at least f62, 600. Other build
ings In Ann street, Limehouse and Mill
lane. Deptford, have been commenced, and
when completed will accommodate 1883
persons. Then there is the Totterdown
Fields site, the streets and sewers of which
are being laid by the contractors, tenders
for buildings having been accented last
week. Finally, there Is another small job
in hand at Swan lane. where contractors
are expected to complete houses for 200 per-
sons by next September
The greatest schemes are now being COM
pleted in the architects office The work
ing drawings for the remainder of the dwell
lings to be put up on Reid's brewery site
and estimated to cost Ell, ,S65, have been
practically completed, so that the total cost
of the whole of the dwellings on that site
will reach at least f136. 600. Drawings are
also in the office for the cottages to be
built on the Totterdown Fields site at Too
ting, where s. .532 persons will be housed I'm
pretty cottages, costing, f345 4S2. Some de-
lay is taking place in completing the draw
ings for theb Norhury estate cottages at
Croydon. where 5.S58. persons will be ac-
commodated in houses costing f249OO5.
Other buildings now in the hands of the
councils architectural staff are Siddons and
Stirling buildings, Russell court for 400
persons; Thackerag, Dickens and Coram
buildings for $50 persons turned out by the
construction of the new street from Hol-
born to the Strand; Preston road Poplar.
for $50 persons; Ropemakers' Fields for
2G6 people disposseSsed by the construction
for $50 people evicted by the Long lane inn,
provement, and Kemble street lodging
house, for 500 persons, whose present
abodes in common, lodging houses will he
pulled down to make way for the Holborn
to Strand street 81
White Hart Lane Scheme.
The biggest scheme of all is that known
as the White Hart lane, Tottenham,
scheme. which. for buildings alone. will
cost f1, $50. .S5S to carry into effect, and upon
which a. 7S4 persons will be accommodated.
There are five other sites which have ad-
vanced to the sketch plan stage. These
are Wedmore street, CaIedonian Asylum.
York road, Battersea; Creek road Dent
ford. and one near the Tower bridge. The
buildings on these sites will house 152
persons. and cost f197. 900. Preliminary re-
construction schemes are under considera-
tion for housing 4,582 persons on the Avles-
bury place and Union buildings, Garden
row, st. Lukes: Webber row. Southwark
and Nightingale street, Marylebone-sifes
which, for buildings alone. are expected
to entail an expenditure Of f2OS, 500
The council are at present negotiating
for sites at Old Oak Common lane. upon
which they propose. to house 10, 700 persons:
another. site at Wedmofe street far H96