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34
scheme was extended to include these. Applications for such accommodation
are submitted by residents in this Borough to the Public Health Department where
they are examined and before submission to the London County Council the
applicants are in all cases interviewed.
During the year 1930, 45 applications were submitted through the Public
Health Department to the London County Council for such accommodation.
During the same period we received from the London County Council information
that accommodation had been provided for 26 Holborn applicants. This brings the
total number of cases from the Borough for whom accommodation has been
provided up to 175 or about 62 per cent, of the applications submitted.
Underground Rooms.
The use of underground rooms in London is subject to compliance with the
provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and the Housing Acts, and
especially with Regulations made by local authorities under the latter Acts.
From time to time, however, difficulty arises in connection with the construction
of underground rooms. No machinery seems to exist whereby plans of dwellings
are examined to ascertain whether it is contemplated to construct underground
rooms which would not comply with the Regulations. It may sometimes happen
that the examination of drainage plans results in the detection of a proposed
construction of rooms the occupation of which for sleeping purposes as intended
would be illegal. It would be more satisfactory if the law required that plans of
new buildings in which any underground room is to be constructed should be
examined and passed by the Medical Officer of Health seeing that he is the person
concerned afterwards with the occupation of such dwellings if they fail to comply
with the Regulations. A resolution in favour of legislation in this direction
adopted by the Holborn Council in 1929 was considered by a number of metropolitan
and provincial local authorities. Of 42 authorities who communicated the
result of their consideration of the matter 33 supported the resolution.
It might be useful to point out that Section 4 of the London County Council
(General Powers) Act, 1920, although it deals with the erection and occupation of
newly built houses does not include the construction of underground rooms. This
Section makes it unlawful to occupy any house newly built unless the drains are
provided to the satisfaction of the local authority, although there appears to be
no penalty for contravention. It would be an advantage if legislation required
that any newly erected house should not be occupied until a general certificate of
fitness for occupation had been obtained from the local authority specifying that
the house (1) had a proper water supply, (2) had satisfactory drainage, (3) that
underground rooms (if any) complied with the Regulations and could be used for
sleeping purposes, and (4) was in all other respects fit for human habitation.
St. George-the-Martyr Ward.
During the year, at the request of the Council, a genera] housing survey was
made of the St. George-the-Martyr Ward (Ward F). The survey was made by the
Sanitary Inspector of the district, Mr. G. F. Clark,