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72
Premises.
No of
Dwellings.
Date of Certificate.
1908
4, Holmdale Mansions, Holmdale
Road
1
3rd March
1, 2, 3, Lyncroft House, Lyncroft
Gardens
3
1st July
Underground Rooms
Fifty-four underground rooms were found to be illegally
occupied during 1908, the streets in which the rooms were found
being as follows:—
Acol Road.
Belsize Crescent.
Bolton Road.
Canfield Gardens.
Compayne Gardens.
East Heath Road.
Fleet Road.
Heath Drive.
Heath Street.
King's College Road.
New End.
West End Lane.
3 of these rooms were permanently closed, 4 ceased to be
occupied separately, 37 were altered to comply with the Public
Health Act, 10 were in process of alteration at the end of the year.
12 of the underground rooms dealt with during the year were
occupied by the caretakers of flats. It is unfortunately by no
means uncommon to find the caretakers of high-class flats housed
in illegally occupied underground rooms, and surprise is sometimes
expressed that the authorities should allow such rooms to
be constructed. There is, however, nothing to prevent the construction
of underground rooms that do not comply with the requirements
of the Public Health Act relating to underground
rooms; the offence consists in allowing such rooms to be separately
occupied as a dwelling, and it is only by systematic inspection that
the offenders can be detected and brought to book. Our experience
in Hampstead in connection with underground rooms illustrates
the importance of systematic house-to-house inspection, even
in a superior residential district. Offences against the Public Health