East End Catholics Discuss London Plan With Priest, Doctor And T.U. Leader

Stepney and part of Poplar will be the first districts of London to be rebuilt and reorganised under the new plan by Sir Patrick Abercrombie. How the plan will affect Catholics, their churches and schools Was discussed at a representative meeting held in Stepney Town Hall on Tuesday night.
[he meeting was preceded by a showing of the film, The Proud City. Fr. Fitzgerald, rector of Commercial Road parish, presided, and Mr. Bernard Sullivan, L.C.C., opened the discussion.
junior school. But what Catholics want to see is a space for a Catholic junior school," be said.
Mr. Sullivan Mr. Sullivan plunged in from the deep end, on behalf of the Plan and the L.C.C., and this is the burden of what he said : " Catholics are united in their faith but not always in their way of looking at life. They must learn to make their views heard. And the state of the world is going to get steadily worse unless we bring our faith into line with our lives.
" We cannot have a Catholic church and school in all of these units. There would not be enough Catholics to support them. One of each will have to serve three or four of these units.
"I can assure you the L.C.C. will give the Catholic schools a square deal. As to where they will be situated, I think we have bigger issues to fight than that. No churches will be pulled down. Only if they are totally destroyed by bombs will they perhaps be re-built in another location. And, of course, these churches will be re-built at the expense of the War Damage Commission."
Dr. Fairfield
Two points were raised by Dr.
Letitia Fairfield. " I think it is a great pity that the film did not mention churches and I hope that the housing scheme will include accommodation for old people. There are far too many grannies living in solitary back rooms in other people's houses or living cramped up with the rest of the family."
These and another point raised by Fr. Fitzgerald about the possible disappeal:ince of some parishes altogether under the L.C.C. Plan zoning scheme, were answered by Mr. Sullivan, who said: " It has happened in the past. Slum clearance has been stopped before by opposition from a priest. But when priests have co-operated in such schemes they have often been compensated so that they have been able to build fine new churches and schools. We must face up to it that it will be a great pity if any of the priests stick to their parishes at the expense of the Plan."
Dr. Fnirficid was assured that " lone persons " had not been forgotten. The idea was to house them in small oneroomed flats among the community where they would have privacy but could be within call of their neighbours. That was the Christian idea of housing as against herding old people in workhouses. " Wc hope to do away with those." And to a girl in the audience who asked about bigger houses for families, Mr. Sullivan said, " Yes. Those are also in the scheme—in the ire in of adaptable flats—small ones that can be merged into bigger according to the family requiring them."
Fr. Fitzgerald
Summing up, Fr. Fitzgerald said :
" What we have to consider is — does this Plan suit us as Catholics? How far can we compromise so as to reconcile our duties as citizens with our denominational responsibilities as Catholics? How does this plan come into lino with our idea of the healthy Christian life?
" I think the real reason why we have heard so little in the film about churches is because, whether we like it or not. we have to face the unfortunate fact that we live in a community, the overwhelming majority of which is not interested in churches or what they stand for, but only in material progress." Parishes represented with their clew were Limchouse, Mile End, Tower hill, Underwood Road, Wapping and Commercial Road.