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Council is anxious, naturally, to carry out a minimum of fresh
sanitary work in properties awaiting demolition.*
II.—INSANITARY AREAS IN FINSBURY
UNDER THE BOROUGH COUNCIL.
(Part ii. of the Housing Act and the Public
Health (London) Act).
During the year a large amount of attention has been devoted
to a number of small insanitary areas unsuitable for treatment
by the London County Council, under Part I. of the Housing
of the Working Classes Act. These have, therefore, been
approached from the point of view of Part II. of the Act, which
is applicable to all Sanitary Districts, and may be enforced by
the Local Authority. It provides inter alia for the closure and
demolition of buildings which are unfit for human habitation.
In dealing with such houses the procedure to be adopted must
depend upon a variety of circumstances. It some cases it is
preferable to proceed under the Housing Act ( Part ii.), in other
cases under the Public Health (London) Act, which is also
enforceable by the Local Authority. These two Acts furnish
the Borough Council with considerable powers, of which it should
avail itself if necessary. Before advising the Council to put
these powers into force, I have made it my duty to see the owner
in each of the following areas, and have fully set before him, or
his solicitors, the various defects of the property. Further, I have
pointed out, where necessary, in unmistakable terms that unless the
owner himself would sufficiently repair or close the properties in
question, it would be necessary for me to proceed under the Acts
above-mentioned. It has seemed to me that this method of first
approaching the owner in a personal way before issuing legal
° It should be added, that, since the attention of the London County Council
was drawn to the conditions obtaining in the five areas, steps have been taken
by them to remedy matters by keeping the areas, temporarily, in a more sanitary
condition pending demolition.