View report page

250
LITTLE EUROPA PLACE.
To the Health Committee.
Gentlemen,
In accordance with the Council's instructions I beg to
report to you as to the best course to adopt to abate nuisances
at certain dwelling-houses in the above street.
I understand the nuisances complained of arise from the
fact that the houses are in a bad state of repair, and are not fit
for human habitation while in such a state of dis-repair, but
that they are capable of being put into a habitable condition.
The case is similar to many cases which the Council have
had before, and in which cases they have found, by the adoption
of the procedure laid down by the Public Health (London) Act,
they have been able to get the nuisance abated and the premises
restored to habitable condition.
The procedure under that Act, shortly, is as follows :—A
notice is served by the Health Committee, to whom the
Council's powers have been delegated in these matters, requiring
the owner of the property to abate the nuisance within a
specified time, and then, in default of his doing so, to issue in
the Police Court a summons for what is known as a Closing
Order, that is, an order prohibiting the premises from being
used for human habitation. Where there has been a proper
case for such an order, I have never known any difficulty in
obtaining it, but it has been generally found in practice that
the Council have been able to get the nuisance abated by
obtaining the order but not having it drawn up for a certain
number of days sufficient to give the owner an opportunity of
making the premises fit for human habitation.
The Act enforces compliance with the order by imposing a
daily penalty not exceeding 40s. a day, so long as it remains
uncomplied with, while on the other hand it gives the Court
power, on being satisfied that the premises have been made fit
for human habitation, to cancel the order, the onus of showing