London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Lewisham 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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49
In his report upon work under the Housing Acts, Mr. Craven, the
group housing inspector, states: —
"The most notable event in the year was the coming into operation of
the new Rent Act, with consequent effects on certain aspects of housing
work. In some instances the provisions of this Act showed undoubted
benefits, but in one respect it would appear to be somewhat retrogressive.
"Because of the new rent limits, it was found that the 'reasonable'
cost of carrying out repairs to individual unfit properties was more likely
and therefore the latter half of the year saw a decline in the proportion of
cases where it was necessary to recommend action for possible demolition or
closure. Again, because of the new rent limits, owners were encouraged to
submit offers to make fit for habitation houses which had been previously
subject to preliminary action leading to demolition or which had been
closed. Thus many properties which, although in disrepair, had a reasonably
long life were brought up to a good standard and in several instances houses
which had been vacated were eventually re-occupied.
"The unfortunate feature of the new Rent Act has been a reduction in
the number of enquiries and applications for improvement grants for conversions
of larger properties into self-contained flats. This is thought to be
due to the discouraging effect of the new rent limits specifically applied to
these cases by the Act. Conversions carried out under this scheme prior to
the 1957 Rent Act, when the rents were fixed by the Council, attained a very
good standard because owners made improvements beyond the minimum
required, thus adding to the comfort and convenience of the tenants. The
rent limits now allowed by the Act, namely twice the gross assessment, are
much below the figures previously fixed by the Council for accommodation
of a comparable size. It is thus thought that because of the relatively high
cost of conversion, together with in many cases extensive maintenance work,
owners will find it uneconomic to carry out work to the standard so far
attained. The result may be that expenditure will be cut to a minimum,
with a consequent lowering of standards, or worse still, owners may not be
in a position to carry out conversions at all."
Table 32
| Properties | Part of house | Present position |
|---|---|---|
| 39, Gilmore Road | Two rooms and scullery in semi-basement. | Closing order operative. |
| 42, Manor Park | Three rooms, scullery and WC in semi-base-ment. | Closing order operative. |
| 13, Recreation Road | Two rooms, scullery, bathroom and WC in semi-basement. | Closing order operative. |
| 53, Manor Park | Two rooms and scullery in semi-basement. | Closing order operative. |
| 13. Davids Road | Two basement rooms. | Closing order operative. |
| 4, Somerset Gardens | Living room, scullery and WC in basement. | Closing order operative. |
| 13, Silverdale | Two rooms, scullery and bathroom in basement. | Closing order operative. |
| 235, Lee High Road | Two rooms and scullery in basement. | Notices served. |
| 58, Knowles Hill Crescent | Front and middle rooms ground floor | Notices served. |