These figures include, respectively, the cost of building and site of 18 cottage flats,

each with kitchen, scullery, and two bedroom.
*B Building. S Site. R Roads.

Actual cost of site.

SR Site and Roads.

These figures include, respectively, the cost of building and site of 18 cottage flats, each with kitchen, scullery, and two bedrooms. + Actual cost of site.

*B Building. S Site. R Roads.

SR Site and Roads.

Summary. The total number of dwellings of all kinds is 9,293,

as follows:

The cost of building these has been about £1,955,000.

CHAPTER VIII.

LONDON AND GLASGOW BLOCK DWELLINGS.

Details of Construction and Finances.

LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL.

From official returns and information, plans, etc., kindly forwarded by Sir W. Collins (Chairman, Housing Committee), T. R. Blashill, Esq., late Architect to the Council, and S. Burgess. Esq., Housing Manager.

It has already been shown (pp. 43, 46, 49, 51) that Londor. has spent enormous sums of money in buying slums, and that under the Metropolitan Board of Works it was the custom of the central authority to sell the cleared sites to various Artizans Dwellings Companies, subject to them undertaking to erect dwellings in accordance with the requirements of the scheme. This meant that property which cost nearly £2,000,000 to acquire was sold for about one-fifth of that amount, thus giving a very large subsidy to private companies out of the rates. These companies have, as a consequence, become the owners of 263 large blocks of dwellings which have paid them on an average over 4 per cent.

Owing to the increased cost of building, it was difficult in late years to find companies willing to take up the more difficult sites, and when the London County Council became the governing body for the Metropolis a change of policy took place. The Council decided to retain the ownership of the sites of cleared areas, and to, itself, build, let, and manage houses for the working classes under the Housing Act of 1890. The standing order regulating such building schemes is as follows:

(1) "The rents to be charged for the dwellings erected in connection with any specified housing scheme, or area, shall not exceed those ruling in the neighbourhood; and

(2) "Shall be so fixed that after providing for all out-goings, interest, and sinking fund charges, there shall be no charge on the county rate in respect of the dwellings on such area, or scheme; and

(3)

(4)

"All such dwellings shall be so designed that the cost of the erection may not exceed a sum which will enable the Council to carry out the foregoing conditions;

"The interest and sinking fund charges shall be calculated upon the cost of erection plus the value of the site, subject to the obligation to build dwellings for the working classes upon it."

The Council are allowed a period of 60 years, within which to repay the capital cost of the land and buildings, and the sinking fund is usually provided by means of a cumulative annuity at 2 per cent. (equal to per cent on the capital). By this method of borrowing the annual amount required to pay sinking fund and interest remain the same until the whole amount is paid.

Most of the houses have been built under the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890; but the Blackwall Tunnel Acts, 1887-1888, which authorised the displacement of 1,210 persons, required the Council to rehouse 1,750 persons at Poplar and Greenwich.

The Common Lodging House in Parker Street, Drury Lane, is interesting as the first attempt made in London to improve common lodging houses. Particulars as to cost, etc., are given on page 65.

The Boundary Street Scheme has already been mentioned (p. 46), and the action taken in rehousing may be of interest. The Council has erected 23 separate blocks on wide asphalted streets, which radiate from a raised circular garden in the centre. All but two of these were built from the designs of Mr. T. Blashill, the Council's late architect, the remaining two being by Mr. Rowland Plumbe. In addition to about 1,000 dwellings there are 77 workshops, 18 shops, baths, two club rooms, an estate workshop, and a central laundry which, last named, cost £10,500, but does not pay, owing to the reluctance of the tenants to do their washing where everybody can see the quality, quantity, and condition of their linen and other wearing apparel. In the year ended 31st March, 1900, there was a deficiency on the laundry of £1,074. The rents per room are no higher than those paid for the old slums, but as the number of rooms per family had to be increased above the slum standard, to meet the ordinary requirements of decency, sanitation, and civilization, the rent per family has been higher than the old tenants could or would pay, and the houses are occupied by a superior class to those who were dispossessed. Every tenant on the area has a private w.c., except the one-room tenements in Culham buildings. There are five classes of buildings:

Class A.

B.

C.

Entirely self-contained, 601;

Self-contained but with detached, private w.C., 201; Private w.c., and private scullery outside tenement, 90 ; Private w.c. outside tenement, but scullery in common, 142; E. Using both w.c. and scullery in common, 35.

D.

The first half of the area comprises rooms of the following approxi

mate areas :

Living Rooms average 144 square feet; Bedrooms average 96 square feet.

In the later buildings these sizes were increased as follows :Living Rooms average 160 square feet: Bedrooms average 110 square feet.

Every habitable room is provided with a 45 degrees angle of light, horizontally and vertically. The cost of building was 9d. per foot cube, and £107 per room.

In 1893 the Government sold the Council 10 acres of the site of Millbank prison at the reduced price of £2,500 per acre, and this is now covered with 17 blocks of dwellings, accommodating 4,434 persons.

On the passing of the Act of 1890, the Council took over and adapted the Dufferin Street dwellings, St. Luke's, specially designed for costermongers.

Details as to the above and other schemes of rehousing are given in the following tables.