View report page

52
far as the administrative county of London was concerned, the number
for the first year should be fixed at 4,500. The Minister however, was
not prepared to approve this figure and it was hoped that he could be
persuaded to fix the figure at 3,000, in which case the county council
would deal with 1,500 slum dwellings and would allocate the remaining
1,500 to the different borough councils according to the degree of
urgency.
With regard to the No. 1 Lee area it appeared as a result of the
conference that the council's proposals for the redevelopment of the
area would be acceptable to the county council and I have been requested
to furnish the county council with information as to the actual number
of houses which can be represented as slum properties and the number
which it is considered should be dealt with during the first year. This is
in order that agreement can be reached as to the number of properties
to be dealt with by the borough council during the first year.
House-to-house inspections
Detailed inspections have been made of all houses in certain roads
in the borough where the age of the property is such that a moderate
amount of work may be necessary to put the houses into a reasonable
condition, but where the age and condition of the property is not such
as to indicate clearance or demolition procedure.
One sanitary inspector has been employed for this purpose and
during the year 613 houses were inspected, and 227 intimation notices
and 76 statutory notices served.
Overcrowding (section 61)
Under section 61 of the Housing, Act 1936, the Council is empowered
to issue a licence to an occupier to enable him to remain in
possession of overcrowded premises without comitting an offence.
Section 59(3) of the Act covers the case of the family whose house
becomes overcrowded in course of time owing to increases in the number
or ages of children. An occupier whose house becomes overcrowded in
such circumstances is not guilty of an offence if he applies to the local
authority for suitable alternative accommodation unless either suitable
alternative accommodation is offered to him and he refuses it or he fails,
in a particular case in which it would be reasonable and practicable to
do so, to ameliorate the overcrowding by the displacement of some
lodger or subtenant who is not a member of his family. Where,
therefore, the overcrowding occurs by natural increase and the occupier
has not deliberately aggravated it by subsequently taking in additional
persons an application by him for his name to be put on the local
authority's waiting list will in general be sufficient to give him
protection.
During the year three licences were issued under section 61 on the
application of tenants of overcrowded premises, each licence remaining
in force for a period not exceeding 12 months.