HOUSING IN SCOTLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 September 1932, Page 7

HOUSING IN SCOTLAND

APARTMENT HOUSE 6/4 A WEEK

The happiest households in Scotland to-day are the people living in the civic housing scheme of Kilsyth, says the “Glasgow Weekly Herald.” They aie thc envy of thousands of other municipal tenants throughout Scotland and England, because not only do they live in houses which are regarded as the model of what such schemes Should he, but they also tenant (hem al the cheapest rates in the country, while the conditions are ideal.

It has been a puzzle to town ami county councils, not only in Scotland but south of the Border, as to how Kilsyth manages to accomplish this economic miracle. Deputations from cities and towns all over Great Britain have come to Kilsyth to take a lesson in municipal housing, and the fruits of their visits can be seen in their own particular areas as time goes on; but. meantime Kilsyth has the proud distinction of being regarded as the acme of perfection as far as housing schemes ate concerned throughout Great Britain. Experts have been puzzled as to how it is done, and it has been suggested that, because Kilsyth has accomplished this miracle within the compass of orthodox economics, the secret ot the high cost of housing schemes in other areas is due either to inefficiency or gross ignorance of housing technicalities. Not. only does Kilsyth enjoy the honour of being the “perfect example” but it also has the distinction of leaving been able to reduce its rates, an honour which few other burgh's in Scotland or elsewhere can claim at the present moment of trade depression; and this despite the fact that the town is situated in a. mining area which has ben as sorely hit by thc industrial blight as the. rest of the mining communities in Scotland.

LOW RENTS. \ The lew rents in the housing schemes in Kilsyth are remarkable. A live-apartment house can be rented at 6/4 per week, including rates. This rent also includes the use of many household conveniences which are not, as a rule, supplied in housing schemes, and which are supplied nowhere else without cost to the tenants. There are washing machines (which may be used as gas-boilers) and dust bins. As the majority of the tenants had formerly stayed in houses where ..built-in beds had been in use, the council supplied oak bedsteads in the new houses. The living rooms are fitted wih press-cupboards, which may be used as sideboards. All this 1 is included in the 6/4.

How does Kilsyth do it? That is the question which has puzzled many housing committees, tor some of them find it difficult to make their rents less than double the Kilsyth rate. In an interview with the “Weekly Herald.” Mr Jarvie, the convener of the Housing Committee, said that he saw no reason why other -town councils should not build houses every bit as cheaply as Kilsyth was doing. In his opinion every council which took full advantage of tfie 1930 Housing Act, and •which built houses mainly of lour and five apartments, should be able to charge rents which were as low as those in Kilsyth. “One of the essentials,” he said, “is speed. A council finishing a scheme before the financial year end's gets thc full grant for that year, though there may be no tenants in the houses. This enables the council to pay for the work immediately, thus avoiding paying interest on loans (which so many councils rely upon), and thus cutting expenditure.” When Mr Jarvis was asked if cheapness of the ground on which thc bildings are erected accounted for the low rents, he pointed out that one of the towns which had consulted the Housing Committee, because their own costs were too high, was Tranent. Tranent paid £7O per acre tor their ground; Kilsyth paid £llB per acre. Therefore he thought that in most, cases the cost -of the ground had very little to do with the question. 1

Kilsyth has already built about 400 houses, and has just, started on another 10b. When these are finished more will have to be built, lor there have already been many more than 100 applications for the new houses. Kilsyth is fighting the depression, and not only is it bcite: ing the conditions of its people but it is doing so economically. ' .