Response: London County Council
The Metropolitan Body of Works (MBW) was the primary institution of local governance for the city of London until 1889. After a series of scandals, the MBW lost its jurisdiction and was replaced by the London County Council (LCC). This new body inherited the responsibilities and power of its predecessor, and was also expanded to hold jurisdiction over education and urban development. It would later also absorb the London School Board; the same body that popularized Charles Booth’s “poverty line” concept. This over-arching council would lead the way in late 19th century housing reform and slum clearance.
The composition of the LCC enabled these urban renewal programs to finally come to fruition in the East End, previously, MBW commissioners were appointed to the board and had no incentive to appeal to the needs of the people. But, LCC councilmembers were directly elected; so representatives from the slum areas now had a reason to prioritize equitable city planning. By the council’s creation, public opinion from had accepted that “although philanthropy might be helpful in some areas it was an inadequate solution for the housing problem” (Steffel, “The Slum Question: The London County Council and Decent Dwellings for the Working Classes,” p. 315). This may help to explain why the LCC was established without significant opposition from those in positions of privilege and power. Accordingly, the devolution of responsibilities to a local governance board meant that wealthy members of Parliament or CSOs could no longer be blamed.
The establishment of the LCC represents a shift in welfare strategy for London. It is interesting to note that the date of creation was after the publication of Booth’s Life and Labour and the circulation of Webb’s social welfare theories. Booth’s census maps (1889, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_renewal#/media/File:Booth_map_of_Westminster.jpg ) allowed civic servants to now have concrete data on specific urban areas, which is a possible explanation for why local governance became more efficient in the last decade of the 19th century. Politicians and civic servants now had a better understanding of the districts they were supposed to serve, which allowed them to champion the areas in a more productive manner.
I must ask, did any of these authorities use or take note of the academic minds of the age, particularly those at the universities? I’m sure Oxford and Cambridge might not have been much help being so far away. But the Webbs were certainly associated with the University of London – I’m currently reading a history of that institution in my own research on H.G. Wells. Was there a connection between the LCC and the University?