Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 727

encroach

The usual angles taken for the rear, measured in the same way from the building line to the eaves of the opposite building vary between 45° and 63°, a fair standard being 56°. From the lines drawn on the plan, representing these angles, it is apparent there is no space for another house between the hill side and the rear of the four-storied houses in Queen's Road and the close proximity of the two rows of houses to one another renders both insanitary.

5. The preceding Plates deal with closely packed areas which have existed for many years and which have grown up either under old regulations or when there were none. They are typical of the general condition of such areas in different parts of the town. The following three Plates deal, not with the past but with the present; they represent areas on which buildings are now being erected and which are springing up under existing regulations. They show that existing regulations do not prevent crowding together of houses.

Crowding together of Houses under existing Regulations.

6. Plate IV. Inland Lot 799 is bounded on the north by Third Street which is 30′ 6" wide, on the south by Pokfulum Road which is 32′ 0′′ wide, on the west by Water Street which is 28' 8" wide, and on the east by Pokfulum Road which is 31' 0" wide. The lot consists of two blocks, containing 37 houses of which 21 are old, and 16 are new. The houses are 40 feet in height. The blocks are divided by a 16′ 0′′ private lane which is the frontage of 10 houses in the south blocks and which also forms the open space required by section 56 of Ordinance 13 of 1901* for the rear of the houses in the north block.

By this section of the Ordinance ten square feet for each foot of width is required at the rear of the houses facing Third Street as they are over 40 feet deep and less than 50 feet. The inclusion of the lane which is really the frontage of the houses on the south side in the calculation of open space for the rear of the houses in Third Street is unsatisfactory enough, but there appears to be nothing in the Ordinance when the houses in Third Street are re-built to prevent the private lane in the rear being encroached on, and the houses being thus brought nearer to one another, or to prevent the owner, should he make Pokfulum Road the frontage and entrance into the houses to contract the private lane, which is no longer a lane on which houses front, to 8 or 11 feet wide which would act as the open space in rear of such buildings and would conform with the existing provisions of the law.

7. Plate V, which shows the section of one of the houses in the south block, makes it appear

that there is between the lower floor of the house and the hill-side a moderately sized open area, throughout its entire width, but a reference to the

* 56.—(a.) Every domestic building hereafter erected in this Colony, (except in cases provided for by section 54 of this Ordinance, or coming within the terms of Articles of Agreement under the Praya Reclamation Ordinance, 1889) shall be provided by the owner with an open space in the rear in accordance with the following scale:—

Houses not exceeding 40 feet in depth, for each foot of width Houses exceeding 40 feet but not exceeding 50 feet in depth, for each foot of width Houses exceeding 50 feet but not exceeding 60 feet in depth, for each foot of width Houses exceeding 60 feet in depth, for each foot of width

An open space not less than

8 square feet.

.10 square feet. 12 square feet. 14 square feet.

(¿.) In no case may any obstructions whatever be placed or erected in these open spaces, with the exception of a bridge or covered way on each storey when such bridge is necessary as a means of access to any part of the domestic building: such bridge shall not exceed three feet six inches in width unless the building exceeds twenty-five feet in width, in which case the bridge may be of a width not exceeding five feet. The building must also be provided on every floor with a window of at least ten square feet superficial area opening into such open space and the area of such window shall not be included in calculating the window area required by section 69 of this Ordinance.

(c.) Provided always that when the owners of a block of buildings agree to make and do make a lane opening at both ends upon a public thoroughfare and free from obstruction throughout both vertically and horizontally, the fore- going requirements shall be modified as follows:-

Houses not exceeding 40 feet in depth: a lane not less than

Houses exceeding 40 feet but not exceeding 50 feet in depth: a lane not less than. Houses exceeding 50 feet but not exceeding 60 feet in depth: a lane not less than... Houses exceeding 60 feet in depth: a lane not less than

6 feet wide. 8 feet wide. .........11 feet wide. ..13 feet wide.

(d) The buildings must be provided on every floor with a window of at least ten square feet superficial area opening into such open space. The area of such window shall not be included in calculating the window area required by section 69 of this Ordinance.

(e.) In computing the depth of a domestic building for the purposes of this section the depth of the kitchen shall be included in the computation of such depth in every case except when such kitchen is separated from the principal room or rooms of such building by an open backyard of at least six feet in depth extending the entire width of the back of such building and unobstructed except by a bridge on each floor not exceeding the width specified in sub-sec- tion (b.)

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