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Catalogue Reference:CAB/24/87
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(THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY-OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'3 GOVERBOTT-,..)
1*/'"
'W/
PRESENT POSITION OF H0U3HG.
H..8.
:
Memorandum by the Minister of Health.
igtotoiteATlVE AND LEGISLATIVE MEASURES.
As explained in my Meiaorandum (G.235), t h e position
at the beginning o f the year was that 108 schemes r e l a t i n g to
s i t e s and 52 r e l a t i n g to houses, were before the Department.
Many of'these were defective schemes.
None had been approved
and no land for housing f i n a l l y acquired.
There was no
organisation either centrally or l e e a l l y competent to deal
with the housing, programme of the Government; .and the
powers then possessed were dilatory and cumbrous
legal
last
to.the
degree and quite unequal to the task before u s . I t Was.
necessary therefore, i n the f i r s t place, to s e t about tho .
creation of the necessary, organisation both centrally and
l o c a l l y , to a s s i s t and urge Local Authorities to do the
same,
t o revise the scheme of financial assistance and to prepare
a B i l l providing the necessary powers,
(a)
ORGANISATION, ,
The Housing Department at Whitehall has been
completely reorganised and greatly augmented by administrative
and technical ,staff,
A system^ of decentralisation has
al30
been inaugurated and the country divided into 11 Regions under
Housing Commissioners.
These Commissioners are equipped
with
the necessary c l e r i c a l and technical staff, and are dealing
with cases in t h e i r areas through a l l the preliminary
stages.
In view of the d i f f i c u l t i e s of London, a.special organisation
was set up,.and the office of the Housing Commissioner f o r the
-1-.
Area was associated with a Housing Board for London, consist­
ing of Sir John Tudor Walters, M.P;
S i r Kingsley Wood, M.P.,­
and Mr. Strauss, M.P.
The principal d i f f i c u l t y in the creation of pur
organisation arose from the fact that active men with techni­
cal experience were for the most part in the Army and i t was
not u n t i l the month of May that i t could be said to be in
working order.
(b)
LEGISLATION,
The Housing B i l l was introduced on March 18th. and
became law on July 31st.
Under i t s p r o v i s i o n s , . i t will be
possible to evade a multitude of complexities and delays in
the provision of new-houses and for the f i r s t time to make
use of suitable empty houses and to adapt or improve suitable
existing occupied houses *
(o)
FINANCE Ofr HOUSING.
The terms granted to Local Authorities were
announced on the 6th February and those to Public U t i l i t y
Societies on the 24th March. . There has been a great response
to these financial proposals.
(II).
-
PROGRESS PROM JANUARY TO PASSING OF HOUSING ACT.
( A ) . PERMANENT ACCOMMODATION. .
(l)
NEW BUILDINGS.
Having regard to the dilatory powers under which
we were obliged to work, the progress made during this period
was b e t t e r in many respects than could have been expected,
and I a t t r i b u t e t h i s in a substantial measure, apart from the
zeal of the staff and the ready help of the a u t h o r i t i e s , to
the assistance of Members of Parliament who have formed for
the purpose a Housing Committee which meets weekly under the
Chairmanship of Sir Tudor Waiters.
38
(a)
IMJ
SITES,
Up to August 9th, 1,165 different s i t e applications
covering 16,475 acres had "been approved and the t o t a l numher
of s i t e applications submitted amounted to 4,003 involving in
a l l 38,303 acres.
Allowing 10 houses to the acre, i t w i l l "be
Seen that the area of land already submitted for approval,
will he sufficient for over 380,000 houses,
(h)
COST OF LAND.
Officers of the Inland Revenue Department attached
to us for t h i s purpose advise as to valuation and have
effected great economies.
The cost of the f i r s t 28,214
acres valued proved to he £4,919,681, or an average of £170
per acre.
In view of the fact that the "bulk of the land
thus early acquired is in the neighbourhood of towns, the
average cost per aere i s , I think, l e s s than would have "been
anticipated.
At 10 houses to the acre and at 5^, i t
represents 4d, per week in the r e n t .
(o)
LAY OUT OF THE SITES FOR HOUSING.
I instructed the Department in these early stages
to concentrate in passing the larger of them and those near
the chief centres of population.
Full d e t a i l s of these are
shown in the printed Return' (Cnd.235) giving detailed
particulars to the end of June.
Plans for the lay-out of the s i t e s for houses,
s t r e e t s , e t c , have "been received in 670 cases, of which 288
have "been finally approved.
The average area in these approved is about 14
acres and the approved schemes represent over 40,000 houses.
Many of the schemes are planned on excellent and far-sighted
lines and will provide encouraging exacplea of modern housing
The following
examples
of
BOheree
which provide
for more than 500 houses on each s i t e nay "be of i n t e r e s t .
The number of houses nay be calculated by reckoning 10- to
the a c r e : ­
37
(a)
Over 100 aores - representing upwards of 1000 houses eaoh
South Shields C B . '
Rotherham C B . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
St. Helens O.B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Abertillery tf. (2 schemes) . . .
Bristol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
i.,.,....
Chelmsford B
(b)
, ijf
130
152
105
259
125
118
Acres
Acres
Acres
Acres
Acres
Acres
Over 50 Acres - representing upwards of 500 houses each
Sunderland C B . . . . . . . . . .
72 Acres
' 67 Acres
Wallsend B* - . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Leeds
a- ' 65 Acres
Middlesborough'...............
'60 Acres
Bootle C B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50 Acres
Leigh B. .
.
.
'
92 Acres
Manchester C B , (3 Schemes) . . 233 Acres (in a l l )
Newton in, Maice-rfield .V
..
84 Acres
Abercarn . . . . .
" ' 57 Acres
Bedweilty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 89 Acres
MynQpddesborough . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
54 Acres
Birmingham (13 Schemes) ......... 859 Acres (in a l l )
East Retford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
53 Acres
Swindon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
77 Acres
Hammersmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
70 Acres.
Willesden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
63 Acres
Hemel Hempstead . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
66 Acres
Kettering
54 Acres
Reading
98 Acres
1
(d)
HQUS3S8.'
Detailed plans for 24,236, houses have been submitted
of which 13,317 have been f i n a l l y approved.
I t should be
jointed but, however, that the approved plans in very many
cases are of blocks of 20 to 50 houses which w i l l be
reproduced as building on the s i t e develops and the figures
given therefore represent a much larger number of houses of
which the type has been approved.
(e)
WORK IN SROGRESS, .
A system of frequent reporting has been i n s t i t u t e d
and i s gradually becoming of .a more r e l i a b l e character as
Local Authorities come to appreciate i t s importance, but a
large number of them have hitherto failed to make the returns
asked for*
tip to the end of July, work is knowi to have "been
begun in the places set out below.
In many of them operations
have not yet proceeded beyond worjk on the s t r e e t s , sewers and
preparation of the grounds
Whenever we have had reported the
number of actual houses erected or in course of erection, the
figure i s given in the right-hand column B j WORK IK SITES OR HOUSES IN PROGRESS
July, 1919.
A.
Authority.
Aoerbarn U.D.
Ampthill R.D.
Atherton CD,
Barnes CD,
Barry CD.
-bath 'C,B.
Battle CD*
Bentiey with Arks 3y C B .
Bilston C D .
Birmingham C,B.
Bolt oh upon De.aa.ae CD.
Bradford C.B.
Bristol C B .
Cambridge B.
Cardiff C B .
Chester C.B.­
Dorking C D .
Dudley C.B.
Ealing,B.
Evesham B.
Gl an ford Brigg CD.
Guildford B.
Hawarden R.D.­
Hayes CD.
Hoxwich C D .
Hereford B;
Holmfirth C D .
Huddersfield C.B.
Ipswich C ,B.
Kendal B.
Kettering R.D.
Leeds C B .
Linthwaite t*'D;
Luton R.D.
Mac61esfield R.D.
Manchester C B ;
liddlesborough C ,B.
Mbrley B.
North Bromsgrove B*
Norwich C B ,
Nuneaton B,
Orsett CD.
Radcliffe CD;
Richmond (Surrey) B,
Romsey R.D;,
Rotherham C D .
Ruislip NorthwoOd CD,
Sevenoaks CD;
Sheffield C B .
Shipley C D .
Shrewsbury ,B.
Smethwick C B .
Houses in the
Scheme.
721
202
114
12
40
32
6
6
38
B.Houses known
to be in
building.
2
24
251
578
271
16
21
137
100
162
239
52
16
83
52
20
120
64
12
78
100
8
1
110
14
24
1
78
106
1
50
120
30
24
16
m
52
20
12
18
m
8
78
u
24
7
16
124
22
20
653
10
164
23Q
20
41
B.
A,
Houses in the I Houses known
Scheme-.
to he in
building.
Authority.
190
18
500
90
24
8
, 2
64
51
6
20
2
10
8
45
48
50
Southampton 0 , B .
Stookton on, Tees B.
Swansea 0,B.
Stafford B.
SwindOn B.
Thornbury R.D.
Tynemouth B.
Wakefield C.B.
Wellington U.D.
Wells next the Sea U.D.
Welwyn R,D.
Wharfedale R.D.
Whitley Upper U,D.
Wine an ton R.D,
Witney U.D.
Wolverhamptbn B .
Yeovil B.
:
2
64
8
20
8
m
m
50
6,540
Total
443
Work has also commenced in schemes of public u t i l i t y
s o c i e t i e s in the following d i s t r i c t s : Adwick-le-Street U.D.
Braintree U.D.
Branston R.D.
Burry Port U.D.
Doncaster R.D,
Gelligaer U.D.
Margam U.D.
Mynyddislwyn U.D.
Oldbury U.D.
Redcar U.D.
Stockton on Tees R.D.,
Total
72
69
91
84
174
3 ,
100
28
6
12
100
;
Grand Total
(2)
!
739
7,279
4
27
26
84
82
3
m
8
m
m
244
687 ,
ADAPTATION OF EXISTING BUILDINGS.
The important powers of the New Act in t h i s respect
were unascertained u n t i l the B i l l had finally l e f t the House
of Lords and overt action was impossible u n t i l then, i t
being necessary to act so as to avoid prices being forced up
against us.
The organisation was, however, prepared in
advance and, after the passage of the B i l l on July 31st,
.
.
.
aotion was taken forthwith.
I am at present only surveying empty houses suitable
for adaptation for family dwellings - mostly in the form of 2 or
3 f l a t s - in the Metropolitan area, "but the arrangements for'
extending this work are already well advanoed.
After obtaining
a provisional working arrangement with the Metropolitan boroughs,
a preliminary Return revealed the numbers of empty houses
possibly suitable as shown below:Returns of Empty Houses and Results of Inspection
up
to
12th
August.
Hnmber according to j Number inspected Total capable
of
Council's Return, j since August 6th.
conversion.
Battersea
94
Bermondsey
Hone inhabitable,
Bethnal Green lone suitable
Camberwell
Chelsea
None suitable
Deptford
13
Finsbury
575
Fulham
20
Greenvdoh
29
Hackney
30
Hammersmith
54
Hampstead
None suitable.
Holborn
None suitable
Islington
500
Kensington
50
Lambeth
150
Lewi sham
- 160
Paddington
3V 3
Poplar
132
St.. Marylebone
211
St.Panoras
184,
Shoreditch
268
Southwark
150
Stepney
300
Stoke Newingtori None suitable
Wands worth
None suitable
Westminster
177
Woolwich
7
41
38
mm
*',-
7
50
77
72
mm
M
mm
2
mm
mm
M
m
47
mm
m
152
19
143
51
26-3
32
50
50
.**
117
18
66
36
mm
115
mm.
'
**
mt
22
20
Day to day inspection of them by experts was then undertaken,
beginning with selected B o r o u g h s T h e number of houses inspected
and judged f i t for use and conversion is at present being added to
by about 100 per day.
Up to August 12th, the number inspected and
approved are as follows:­
^sjiectod - 325.
Approved - 514.
I t is anticipated that the houses w i l l average the
provision for 3 f a n c i e s each.
A survey of accommodation other
than in houses which may he made use of under the new powers
in such cases as h o s t e l s , in others for family use, - will
then follow,
A Manual and typical plans is "being prepared
for the use of Local Authorities to a s s i s t them with t h i s
work.'
Copies will he made available to members of the
Cabinet shortly.
An arrangement has been made with the Chancellor
of the Exchequer under which £500,000 ,is placed at the.
disposal of the i i n i s t r y of Health during the coming months
to enable us d i r e c t l y to' make a, s t a r t with this work in
oases where the Local Authorities, are not yet prepared to
do so.
(l)
H^.^^1I0ST1LS.
The number of huts of a suitable kind which i t has
been possible for the War Office to pass to the Disposal
Board has not been large up to the present.
The prices
which are obtainable by the Disposal Board have been such as
to make the purchase of a hut, and i t s removal and conversicr
for housing purposes, so expensive that Local Authorities
have been very reluctant to use them-
On many occasions we
have pressed t h e i r use upon Authorities and have been met by
a refusal to take them on the ground, f i r s t , of expense and,
second, of the unpopularity of the proposal with the people.
The use of huts has, however,, been adopted in
various places -Hammersmith, Eastbourne, Manchester,
..Liverpool., Poplar, Cannock and Darlington are the most
important up to the present.
The obstacle of cost, has, I hope, now been
substantially met under the arrangements sanctioned by the
Home Affairs Committee on August 6th.' under which huts -of a
suitable kind may be inspected and approved by us and placed
at the disposal of the Local Authorities at a discount of
and the Ministry of Health stands temporarily possessed
Of hostels for the same purposes,
Upon these terms',, we s h a l l
he able to make a much b e t t e r use of this temporary provision
under our new direct powers.
The best, however, that we can do w i l l go but a
very l i t t l e way to satisfy local needs and w i l l , in many
cases, I am afraid, prove to he very unpopular in the winter
mbnth3,
(2)
UNSATISFACTORY HOUSES.
Arrangements are being made with, the County Medical
Officers of Health for a suitable organisation attached to
each Housing Commissioner to secure a survey of unsatisfactory
dwellings in town and country, with a view to t h e i r improve­
ment or scheduling for acquisition and clearance as alterna*­
tive accommodation beoomes available.
Under the terms of the
new Act, the acquisition of condemned property can be made on
terms which will enable us to embody in the schemes plans for
reconstruction in slum areas long urgently needed,
(III).
WlSCELLANSOUS ADMINI3TRATI VJJl POINTS.
(l)
MATERIALS.
The supply of building materials, thanks to the
efforts of the Ministry of Munitions, gives no cause for
anxiety, and there are good stocks available.
As to pricej
the Ministry has secured good terms as compared with those
available for private purchases;
and the prices are much
lower than the exaggerated accounts which Often appear would
lead people to suppose.
Arrangements also are being made to
make them available on suitable terms for persons building
houses privately which are approved by us as in the i n t e r e s t s
of housing.
(2) I:A?.M*
C
There i s already in many d i s t r i c t s a shortage of
s k i l l e d building labour.
This is due p a r t l y to the r e a l
*
-
.
4
3
depletion of the industry during the War and to the great
demands for other types of "building.
The Ministry of Labour
for some time past has been conducting negotiations with the
^
building trades and the Joint I n d u s t r i a l Council,with a view
to a provision of a scheme whereby additional labour may be
made available with, l e t us hope, increased productive effort
on the part of those working.
Up. to the present, I regret
to say that, so far as I am aware, no definite arrangement
has yet been reached,
(3)
F1JIM0E.
A Finance and Costing organisation has been set up
and is working in close touch with' a small expert Finance
Committee under the Chairmanship of Sir Gilbert Garnsey.
The arrangements for checking costs of building and of the
acquisition of land are, I think, working s a t i s f a c t o r i l y ,
but the question of devising suitable checks on extravagance
which will not involve delays raises many d i f f i c u l t i e s .
I
believe, however, that the arrangements we are establishing
in consultation with the Treasury are on sound l i n e s .
(4)
CT^XARDJ^JIljICATION
KEv7 DESIGNS, e t c
Two Committees of experts have been engaged for
some time on the preparation of standard specifications, and
forms of contract, and also upon the investigation of new
methods of construction. -12 houses of the concrete-block
type of a new design are being erected at Redcar and 50
others are authorised there as well as another group of a
different type of 24 at Luton-, . According to the tenders,
none of these houses should cost-more than £500 and other
types are being arranged for.. Hew expedients in building .
construction are being carefully watched and t e s t e d .
I have only attempted to set out, above a few of
1
the more important steps which have been taken to a s s i s t
local authorities in the preparation and execution of their
schemes, and to keep the cost vJ thin reasonable l i m i t s .
ISTRY OF HEALTH.
C. ADD!SON.
15,8,19,
-10- ,
f