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71
and 115 were found to be illegally occupied. These rooms were situated
in the following streets: —
Belsize Road Langland Gardens
Bolton Road Mill Lane
Boundary Road Nether wood Street
Hemstal Road Palmerston Road
Honey bourne Road Heath Villas, Yale of Health.
King's College Road
Of these rooms, 53 were altered to comply with the Public Health
Act, 2 were in process of alteration at the end of the year, and 60
were vacated. In 2 cases the tenants were able to occupy a room on an
upper floor in conjunction with the underground rooms, which in this way
were removed from the operation of the Act. In two cases it was found
necessary to take legal proceedings to enforce compliance with the Act.
In each case the defendant was convicted.
The powers of sanitary authorities in relation to underground rooms
are greatly strengthened by Section 17, Sub-section 7, of the Housing,
Town Planning, &c., Act, 1909, which enables the sanitary authority to
close an underground room that is habitually used as a sleeping place,
unless the room is on an average at least seven feet high and complies
with the regulations which the sanitary authority are empowered to
make for securing the proper sanitary condition of such rooms. This
new power will be useful in dealing with underground rooms, which,
although used as sleeping places, are occupied with rooms on upper
floors, and are therefore exempt from the special requirements for underground
rooms in the Public Health Act.
Under the Housing, Town Planning, &c. Act, 1909, the Council
drafted a set of regulations relating to underground sleeping rooms,
and submitted them to the Local Government Board for approval. The
regulations, which are set out in full on page 75 have not yet been
approved by the Board.
Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act.
This Act imposes upon Sanitary Authorities certain duties of great
importance. One of the most important of these is the duty laid upon
every Sanitary Authority by Section 17 (1) of the Act "to cause to be
made from time to time inspection of their district with a view to
ascertain whether any dwelling-house therein is in a state so dangerous