On the application of the several Local Authorities concerned, Orders were issued during the year for the modification, in certain respects, of the following schemes, viz. the scheme confirmed by the Stepney (Dupont Street Improvement Scheme) Order, 1921; the scheme confirmed by the Stockton-on-Tees (Housewife Lane Improvement Scheme) Order, 1925; the scheme confirmed by the Metropolis (Shelton Street, St. Giles) Provisional Order Confirmation Act, 1887; and the scheme confirmed by the Bermondsey (Salisbury Street Improvement Scheme) Order, 1925. THE HOUSING (RURAL WORKERS) ACT, 1926. The Local Authorities primarily responsible for preparing schemes under this Act (of which the objects and provisions were described in last year's Report) are the Councils of Counties and County Boroughs. The Minister has, however, the power, in certain circumstances, to declare the Council of a County District the authority in that District, in lieu of the County Council. Up to March 31 last, out of the 61 County Councils in England and Wales (excluding London), 45 had submitted schemes under the Act to the Minister and had obtained his approval. These schemes covered the whole of the administrative Counties in question, with the exception of 36 Districts, where the District Councils were made the Authorities. In 14 out of the remaining administrative Counties, the Minister, after consultation with the County Council, decided to declare District Councils the authorities for the purposes of the Act, and the position in these Counties and in the 36 Districts above referred to, on March 31 last, was as follows: In the two remaining Counties (Merioneth and Radnor) no scheme had been submitted by the County Council at March 31 last. So far as County Boroughs are concerned, one such borough had submitted and obtained the Minister's approval of a scheme prior to March 31 last. Up to March 31 last assistance amounting to £25,313 by way of grant and £2,760 by way of loan had been promised by the Local Authorities in respect of 334 dwellings. Fuller particulars of the work done are given in Appendix VI (page 260 below). These results represent only a brief period of operation in the case of many of the schemes, and the extent of the work should increase as the schemes become more widely known locally and the local machinery is improved. At the beginning of January circulars were issued by the Minister to the Local Authorities advising them as to methods of obtaining publicity for their schemes, and as to the lines upon which co-operation should be effected between the County Council and the District Councils and work under the Act co-ordinated with the work carried on by District Councils in pursuance of their duties of inspection, etc., under Part I of the Housing Act, 1925. HOUSING MANUAL. Upon the passing of the Housing (Rural Workers) Act, 1926, Local Authorities were at the outset reminded of the need for exercising all care to ensure that the works of reconditioning to be assisted should be carried out with proper regard to the local characteristics and amenities of cottage architecture. It was thought that a short handbook of practical advice on various technical aspects of the reconditioning of old buildings and dwellings, and also on the design, planning, and lay-out of schemes for new houses, would be useful to Local Authorities and others concerned with housing. During the year such a handbook, entitled the "Housing Manual on the Design, Construction and Repair of Dwellings," was prepared, and was issued to Local Authorities and placed on sale at the end of 1927. (Published by H.M. Stationery Office: price 9d. net.) The Manual contains a series of up-to-date plans and illustrations, in addition to the text. Town Planning. GENERAL PROGRESS. The year has witnessed a great increase in town planning activity, which has been reflected in every phase of town planning work. The numbers of new resolutions to prepare schemes, and of preliminary statements and schemes submitted for approval, have all exceeded those for previous years, and the increase has been accompanied by a simultaneous growth in the appeal work and in the promotion of conferences to assist in the settlement of differences between Local Authorities and owners or between Local Authorities themselves. The number of Urban Authorities, however, with a population of more than 20,000 at the last census, who have not yet submitted any town planning proposals in the form of either resolutions or preliminary statements or schemes, is still 98, and many of those who have already submitted proposals have done so only in respect of parts of their town planning areas. Some of the districts concerned are areas where the financial position is difficult, and where therefore there may be good reason for not proceeding for the present; and some of the other Local Authorities have little or no undeveloped land in their areas to plan. Statements showing the total number of schemes approved or in preparation on March 31, 1928, and the various stages reached in their preparation, and lists of the areas for which resolutions, preliminary statements, or schemes were approved during the year ended on that date will be found in Appendices VII-X (pages 261-7, below). It will be seen that authority has been given during the year for the preparation of schemes for localities of special architectural, historic, or artistic interest in Canterbury, Exeter, and Winchester, in addition to Oxford for which authority was previously given in pursuance of the special powers of sub-section (2) of Section 1 of the Town Planning Act, 1925. An application has also been received from Stratford-on-Avon. PROPOSALS OF INTEREST IN APPROVED PRELIMINARY STATEMENTS AND SCHEMES. A brief reference to features of interest in connexion with preliminary statements and schemes approved during the course of the year is given below : Atcham Rural District, Shropshire (preliminary statement).— A scheme to plan Harlescott, which adjoins the northern boundary of Shrewsbury. The new roads planned, in addition to serving the anticipated new development, will help to relieve the main Holyhead road and will bye-pass Shrewsbury on the north. About 116 acres of the Sundorne Castle Grounds are reserved, with Hencott Wood, as public open spaces. Cambridge-East (scheme).-Includes a new street, 60 feet wide, bye-passing the Borough on the east, and generous provision for allotments. Carlton, Nottinghamshire (preliminary statement).-Generous provision is made for allotments, the demand for which is notable in this part of the country.. Epsom Rural, Surrey-Parish of Cheam (preliminary statement). -Provides for part of a new road connexion between Croydon and Epsom, designed to relieve existing roads through Carshalton, Sutton and Cheam, and likely, when constructed, to be a great aid in carrying traffic from Croydon and beyond Epsom racecourse. The sections through Carshalton and Sutton were mentioned in the Report for 1925-6. The Sutton bye-pass, which passes through the area, was constructed during the preparation of the statement. Epsom Rural-Parishes of Banstead and Woodmansterne (preliminary statement).--Provision made for widening the Brighton Road to 60 feet, and for an important new road connection from the Carshalton Road north of Woodmansterne to Tadworth. Exeter and District (preliminary statement).--Includes a new street 60 feet wide, with a new bridge over the River Exe, byepassing the centre of the Borough on the east and linking up the main outlets eastwards and southwards from the town; and a new street 45 feet wide bye-passing the Borough on the west. A good deal of land is reserved for public open spaces, including a large public park of 220 acres to the south-east of the town. Provision is made also for the reservation of nearly 900 acres for agricultural or recreational purposes, including the low-lying lands along the River Exe to the north and south of the town. Heston and Isleworth, Middlesex (preliminary statement).— Extensive provision is made for public open spaces, playing fields and allotments, including a riverside belt along the River Crane. The statement also provides that the grounds of Osterley Park (313 acres) and Syon Park (154 acres) shall not be built upon except with the special consent of the Council, agreement having been reached with the owners that they will notify the Council of any proposed change of user of the land, the Council then having the alternative of giving their consent to the proposed user or purchasing the lands for use as public open spaces. The Great West Road passing through the area was constructed during the preparation of the statement. Hitchin, Hertfordshire (preliminary statement).-Includes a ring road, 100 feet wide, forming bye-passes to the town for east and west and, more especially, for north and south traffic. Hunslet, West Riding of Yorkshire--Oulton-with-Woodlesford (preliminary statement).-Includes a section of a projected ring road, 100 feet wide, round Leeds. Loughborough, Leicestershire (preliminary statement).-Byepass roads are proposed on the Leicester-Derby and the LeicesterNottingham roads and a new channel for the River Soar is proposed in connexion with a flood prevention scheme which is under consideration. North Tees Joint Committee-Stockton Borough and Rural District, and Billingham Urban District (preliminary statement).The statement was prepared by the Joint Committee in pursuance of the power conferred on them by the Authorities mentioned to prepare a scheme for their areas in combination. The proposals in the statement are of a comprehensive character, which should facilitate industrial development, and includes provision for two new crossings of the Tees and an extensive industrial area on its banks (partly on land which it is hoped to reclaim), with good internal and external communications. The new crossings of the Tees are designed to improve communications between the South Tees-Side (Cleveland district) and north and west, including on the north the rapidly developing north bank of the Tees and the Hartlepools, and on the west Darlington and beyond. The preliminary statement also makes extensive provision for open spaces, including a wedge of low-lying land some 300 acres in extent, which it is proposed to restrict to agricultural use or other forms of open development. Nottingham (preliminary statement).-Proposals for two further sections of the undeveloped lands of the City have been approved, and those for the remaining sections are under consideration. A wide ring road has been planned and is partly carried out. The last approved section of the ring road, in the west of the City, is intended to be continued by a bridge over the Trent near Wilford and ultimately to be connected with the main London road south of Trent Bridge. The boulevard on the north bank of the Trent is to be continued for some distance, and the extensive grounds of the Nottingham University are to be retained as a private open space. Oxford and neighbourhood (preliminary statement).-Provision is made for an outer ring road to serve as a bye-pass for traffic on all sides of the City, and also an inner bye-pass from east to north, which is expected to bring much needed relief to the University quarter. Extensive belts of open land are proposed to be preserved on the banks of the Thames and Cherwell, a project which has been greatly assisted by the generosity of a local landowner, and it is hoped to make further provision, both for public and private open spaces, in the scheme itself. The work of the Oxford Trust in this connexion is specially referred to later in this Report. Industrial development is confined to an area on the south-east of the City, and power is to be taken to control the elevations of buildings in the special University quarter. Preston (preliminary statement).-Provides for the reservation of land along the River Ribble for public open spaces, and for a new road, 80 feet wide, to bye-pass the south of the Borough. Steyning East Rural, Sussex (preliminary statement).-Extensive proposals are made for public open spaces and arrangements have been entered into with owners for a number of private openspaces, some of large extent. A road bye-passing the village of Patcham on the main road to Brighton was constructed during the preparation of the statement. |