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Broadly speaking, underground rooms in Kensington fall
into four categories, namely:-
(a) Rooms which cannot be made to comply with the
Council's regulations. These rooms, in the
main, comprise cases where the necessary light
cannot be obtained and the rooms are virtually
cellars. Closing orders are made in respect of
t he s e ro oms.
(b) Rooms where, ov.ing to the nature of the subsoil
or for any other reasons, there is extensive
rising dampness and it is considered that the
full requirements of the Council's regulations
should be enforced in order to render the rooms
fit for habitation. These rooms are closed unless
the owners offer to make them comply with the
regulations.
(c) Rooms in well-constructed houses, on dry soil,
which are healthy although they do not comply with
all the technical requirements of the Council's
regulations, but in which it is not considered
necessary at the present time to demand full
compliance in order to make the rooms fit for
habitation. The owners' undertakings to carry
out the minimum repairs are accepted in these
cases.
(d) Rooms where there is no evidence of rising dampness
and which are adequately lighted and ventilated.
These rooms have not been closed for habitation,
but the persons having control have been informed
that the decision is without prejudice to any
future action which might be taken by the Council.
The number of underground rooms closed during the year was
250, but a number of them have been, or are being, made fit, which
results in the withdrawal of the closing order.
Overcrowding.
A Special Sub-Committee of the Public Health Committee
has been established to which all cases of overcrowding coming
to the notice of the Department are reported.