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Of the 312 basement rooms, 24 upper rooms and 2 mews
premises closed, 195 basement rooms and 24 upper rooms were in
premises de-requisitioned by the Council under the Requisitioned
Houses and Housing (Amendment) Act, 1955. During the time
that the rooms were under the Council's control they were considered
to be unfit for housing purposes and were not used for that purpose.
The Closing Orders were made to ensure that the position was
maintained.
New accommodation.
During the year the Council completed forty-six new flats at
Hethpool House (36) and Churchfield House (10).
Housing Accommodation: Preferential Treatment.
During the year 218 (216) medical certificates were referred to
me by the Borough Director of Housing for " pointing." Points are
awarded for certified ill-health, and if the applicant's health is
affected by his living conditions the Public Health Inspector
investigates the adverse conditions and in many instances is able to
get them remedied.
Land Charges Act, 1925.
This Act provides for the maintenance of a Register of Local
Land Charges in which are registered statutory charges including
closing and demolition orders made by the Council under the
Housing Acts. Solicitors and others making a search in this Register
almost invariably submit supplementary questions about various
matters of concern to the Public Health Department. These include
slum clearance areas, statutory notices under the Public Health
(London) Act, 1936, and the Housing Acts, certificates of disrepair
under the Rent Act, 1957, and the implementation of the provisions
of the Clean Air Act, 1956, in the Borough.
Some 2,190 (1,769) enquiries on these matters received the
attention of the Department during the year.