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22
HOUSE PURCHASE AMD HOUSING ACT, 1959
Powers of local authorities (a) to make Improvement Grants
on properties and (b) to make advances for house purchase
Improvement Grants - "Standard"
This important new Act is not yet sufficiently appreciated
"by property owners Judging by the comparatively few applications
received for Standard Grants. A house owner can get up to £155
as a right if he adds five standard improvements to his house. They
are a bath or shower in a bathroom (£25), a washhand basin (£5),
internal water closet (£40), hot water system (£75), and food store
(£10). He can get smaller sums (as indicated in brackets) if the
property needs fewer of these improvements but it is a condition of
the grant that the house contains all five of these amenities. The
amount of the Standard Grant in respect of each of the five items is
half the cost of the work, subject to the maxima before mentioned.
From August to 31st December, 1959, the number of Standard
Grants approved was three.
Improvement Grants "Discretionary"
The machinery has been somewhat amended but a house owner
can still submit more extensive proposals than for Standard Grants
to the Council with a view to a grant at their discretion. These
proposals have been confined to conversions and allow for an amount
up to £400 per dwelling or one half of the cost of the work (whichever
is the less).
The following table shows the progress of the Improvement
Grant Scheme since its inception in 1954:-