1930 Slum Clearance

Starting in 1934, Hastings Borough Council identified some 45 areas that contained what were identified as slum properties. These areas were to be cleared, some in the making way for The Bourne to be run through the valley in the 1960s. Over 600 people from 192 houses^[1] were to be rehoused in new council housing to be built at Bembrook. Unfortunately, World War 2 intervened and the actual clearance was not completed until the early 1970s.^[2] A few buildings survived in spite of being earmarked for demolition, perhaps the most prominent of these being the buildings in West Street^[3]The properties were designated as slums by means of a number of criteria, key among them being density of buildings and ventilation to the same. By way of example of the size of the buildings, it was estimated that for a large number of the properties, over 4 of the slum houses would fit into the large committee room of the Town Hall, which was measured at 27 x 18 foot and 13 foot high.^[4]

1934 Planning

Planning during 1934 was mainly focussed on the Old Town area, with some seventeen areas being identified as being slums. A budget of £100,000 was agreed at a council meeting on the 12th of January 1934 for clearance of these properties and resettlement of the occupiers elsewhere.^[5] Although planning for the cutting through of The Bourne road had been advanced prior to the slum clearances, Councillor Breeds was reported to state the he did not want to see the slum clearance proposals utilised for the purposes of bringing forward the new road.^[5]. Discussions as to providing a 'better' route through the Old Town to the Clive Vale district had indeed been going on for a number of years - an earlier proposal was tabled in 1894^[6].

Opposition

There was considerable opposition to the plans, not least many of the property owners who were dis-possessed of owning their home and instead became tenants. In addition a local Judge, F. K. Archer K.C. stated during one case "They are pulling down these old places and putting up new ones, which is very nice, but what everyone seems to have forgotten is that they will cost more. I am appalled by the rents people will have to pay."^[7]

Clearance Areas

Area Number	Addresses	Ref/ CPO^[8] Date
1	Zion Cottages, no 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5. Tackleway no 43 Number 5, Zion Cottages survived the clearance, being rebuilt in the 1970s.	^[9]/1934
2	Ebenezer Road, No 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12, All Saints Street No,s 12, 13, 14 and 15 and Upholsterers Shop	^[9]/1934
3	Hope Cottages No 1, 2, 3 and 4 All Saints Street. Nos 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 21a, 21b, 21c, 22a and 23a	^[9]/1934
4	Union Row, No 2 to 15 inclusive. Stanfords Cottages nos 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Providence Row Nos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8	^[9]/1934
5	Woods Row, nos 1 to 12 inclusive; Mulberry Cottages Nos 1 & 2	^[9]/1934
6	Waterloo Place, Nos 1 to 17 inclusive and workshop and stores adjoining no 17	^[9]/1934
7	Fishers Cottages, Nos 3 and 4, Bourne Walk Nos 15, 16, 49 and 50.	^[9]/1934
8	Bourne Passage, Nos 1, 2, 3 and 4, 4a, 6 and 7. Bourne Walk nos 12, 13 and 14	^[9]/1934
9	North of All Saints School, Bourne Walk Nos 9, 10, 8a, 8b and 9a	^[9]/1934
10	The Creek, Bourne Walk no 6, The Creek Nos 6, 7 and 8	^[9]/1934
11	No 4 & 4a Bourne Walk,
12	Amphion Place nos 1 to 5 inclusive	^[9]/1934
13	Chapel Cottage, Bourne Street No 2a	^[9]/1934
14	Bossom Square, Nos 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7and 8. Gem Cottage, East Bourne Street nos 1, 3 and 4, Bourne Street Nos 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 4a, 4b and 25	^[9]/1934
15	Winding Street Nos 1, 2, 3 and 4, Nos 7 to 15 inclusive including No 11a, Nos 17 and 18, Phoenix Hall and Nos 20, 21, 22 and 23. John Street Nos 3, 4, 4a, 8, 9, 9a, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 28, 29 and 23. John Street, Business premises, stores, etc Nos 5, 6, 7, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27. East Street nos 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 15. Business premises, etc Nos 1, 2, 5, 6 and 14. Commercial Road - Market Cottage and no 3. East Beach Street Business premises Nos 8 to 12.	^[9]/1934
16	Wellington Court nos 1 & 2	^[9]/1934
17	Gibbons Square Nos 1 to 6 inclusive	^[10]/1934
18	Hillside Cottages; House 1, 2, 3, 4 and Yard and outbuildings owned by Griffiths Stebbings Todd to be vacated by 15th January 1938	^[11]1937
19	Sandown Road (Area A). House, Forecourt Yard, Land and Outbuildings of 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, and Land and Yards adjacent to 35 to 45 (odd numbers inclusive) Sandown Road. All properties under the Executors of Charles Bridgeland Junior: Administratrix under the will of the late Bertha de la Hey, viz : Bertha de Souza (Mortgagee). to be vacated in 20 weeks.	^[11]1937
20	Sandown Road (Area B), House, Forecourt, Garden and Outbuildings. Anna Stace and Hastings Perm Build Soc Mortgagees To be vacated in 22 weeks	^[11]1937
21	Middle Road, House and Forecourt No 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, Yard & Outbuildings of 3 and 5; House Forecourt Passage Garden & Outbuildings of No 2 and 4 Middle Road House Garden Out Buildings of Appletree Cottage, Fairlight Road, To be vacated in 24 weeks	^[11]1937
22	Lennox Street; No32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 Lennox Street and Washhouses over parts of premises attached to 252 and 254 Priory Road, bridge over yard, passage and outbuildings to the rear of 32 to 40 inclusive (consecutive numbers) Lennox Street To be vacated in 28 days.	^[11]1937
23	Percy Road; House, Forecourt, Yard and Outbuildings 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 3941, 43, 45, 47 Percy Road and Yards, Gardens and Passages adjacent to 29 to 45 Percy Road. To be vacated in 27 weeks	^[11]1937
24	St. Leonards Central (Market Passage) Houses Yards Outbuildings and Shops 11, 12 Market Passage; 5, 6 Market Terrace, 5 and 6 Market Street - Houses Yards Outbuildings and shops of 13, 14 Market Passage,3 and 4Market Terrace, 3 and 4 Market Street. Houses Yards Outbuildings and Garage 15, 16, and 17 Market Passage, 1 and 2 Market Terrace, 1 and 3 Market Street. To be vacated in 7 weeks.	^[11]1937
25	Old Town (West Hill Cottages) Land including the sites of houses formerly 22a, 22b, 23a, 23c Hill Street; Houses, Yards and Outbuildings of West Hill Cottages No 1 - 12 inclusive. To be vacated in 16 weeks	^[11]1937
26	Old Town (Kents Cottages) House, Shop and Premises 67, 68, 68a, All Saints Street, Stores and Premises Smith Cottages, House Yard and Outbuildings 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Kent Cottages, Yard & Outbuildings rear of 4 & 5 Kent Cottages, Yard Fronting and Passage to 1 to 5 Kents Cottages To be vacated in 20 weeks.	^[11]1937
27	Old Town (Richardsons Cottages) House, Yard and Outbuildings No 1, 2 and 3 with Yard Stores adjacent to Richardsons Cottages. Owner of all is Cramp William. To be vacated in 24 weeks.	^[11]1937
28	Old Town (Tamarisk Steps) Rock a-Nore Road No's 3, 4, 5; water Closets opposite 3 & 4, Net Shop & Stores opposite 3, 4, 5, Shop & Store next to No 5, Forecourts and Passages adjoining 3, 4 and 5 and Net shops in front of 3, 4 & 5- Stores Workshops and premises 7a, House forecourt & Yard 3a Tamarisk Steps, House 3, 4 & 5 Tamarisk Steps; House Yard Outbuildings 7, 8, 9, 10 Rock a Nore Road. To be vacated in 27 weeks	^[11]1937
29	Old Town (East Hill Passage - Area A) House 1, 3 & 5 East Hill Passage and forecourts and Outbuildings to 1, 3 & 5. To be vacated in 30 weeks	^[11]1937
30	Old Town (East Hill Passage - Area B) Houses 12, 14, 16 & 18,Yards, Warehouses, outbuildings and passages to 12, 14, 16 & 18, House, forecourt yard etc to Rose Cottage, Tackleway. To be vacated in 33 weeks.	^[11]1937
31	Old Town (Belle Vue Cottages) House, Yard & Outbuildings to No 1, 2 and 3 Bell Vue Cottages owned by John Ring Trustees of Muriel Mooney (decd) viz Duglas Mooney and Sidney Charles Menner (First Mortgagees) and S C Meener, Percy Idle, A W K Brackett,W Merion Brackett, J S Menner, F G Beckett (Second Mortgagees) and House, Passage, Yard , Outbuildings and enclosure to rear, of 19 & 21 East Hill Passage. To be vacated in 35 weeks	^[11]1937
32	Old Town (Swaines Passage) Houses at 42, 41 and 40 All Saints Street; Yard and outbuildings at rear of 40 & 41, House and Forecourt of 40a, Gardens adjacent to 40a, Houses at 1 and 2 Swaines Passage. To be vacated in 39 weeks	^[11]1937
33	Old Town (Woods Passage - Area A) Houses, Yard and Outbuildings of 1 and 1a Woods Passage, House at No 3, House Outbuildings and rear court at No 5 Woods Passage. To be vacated in 40 weeks.	^[11]1937
34	Old Town (Woods Passage - Area B) Houses, Yard and Outbuildings 17 & 19 Woods Passage & No 6, House Forecourt Yard & Outbuildings No 10, House yard and Outbuildings at No 8. To be vacated in 42 weeks.	^[11]1937
35	Old Town (The Shaftesbury) House & Yard 12 & 14 Courthouse Street.	^[11]1937
36	Old Town (West Street - Area A) House & Shop No 1, House No 2, House Yard & Outbuildings No 3, 4, 5, 6, House Passage & Yard No 7, House Shop & Yard No 8, Houses at No 9 & 10, House & Store at No 11 and 31, House & Shop at 32, House at 33 & 34. To be vacated in 47 weeks	^[11]1937
37	Old Town (West Street - Area B) House at 19 & 20 West Street. To be vacated in 48 weeks	^[11]1937
38	Central (Castle Hill Road) House Passage & Yard at No 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 and 33 Castle Hill Road. To be vacated in 50 weeks	^[11]1937
39	St. Leonards Central (Harold Mews) workshops at No 1, Garage at No 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 4,3, 2,1, Store at No 3, 4, 1, House at No 7 plus Yard & Passage in Harold Mews - All owned by Colonel Roderick Mackenzie Skinner D.M.S. Ltd. To be vacated in 16 weeks	^[11]1937
40	Central (Wellington Mews - Area A) House Yard & Outbuildings at 14, 16, 18; 22 & 22a, 24, 26, 28, 30, 29, 35, Blcksmiths Forge and Workshops at 20 & 20a, House at 32, 33, 34, Yard & Outbuildings rear of 32 & 34, Garage and Store at 29, Yard adjoining 29, Garage and Rooms over 37 Wellington Mews. To be vacated in 51 weeks	^[11]1937
41	Central (Wellington Mews - Area B) store & Workshop over 1 & 1a, House Yard & Outbuildings No 3, House at No 5. To be vacated in 52 weeks	^[11]1937
42	St. Leonards Central (Crystal Square). No 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15. All in ownership of Marianne Overy. To be vacated by - Not given	^[11]1937
43	St. Leonards Central (Market Passage) no 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and workshop in Market Street occupied by Mr Sorrell in so far as it is structually connected with the Market Passage properties No 5 & 6. To be vacated in 23 weeks.	^[11]1937
44	Zuriel Cottages, Old London Road No 110, 112, 114 and cottages adjoining 114 originally built as a dwelling house	^[11]1937
45	Waterloo Passage, High Street Nos 20, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d house and workshop rear of 17 and 18; Bourne Walk No 40, 41, 42 and 44a; Waterloo Passage No 4, 5 and 6; High Street No 16a, including two small stores numbered with 16 High Street.	^[11]1937

^[12]

Dark shaded buildings are those which were demolished in the Old Town (c) Leigh Kennedy

Implementation

By the 9th of April 1938, 126 new houses had been constructed, 170 properties acquired and some 163 of these demolished even though some of the properties had not yet been transferred to the council. This work was predominantly in areas 1-10, 12 and 14-17.^[13]

New Road

As part of the clearances, there was incorporated in the planning a design for a new road to flow from the foot of Old London Road through the heart of the Further clearances were carried out during the 1950s