View report page

33
steps necessary for access to any buildings above the room, if the
steps are so placed in such case as not to be over or across any
external window of the room.
(d) The space, if any, beneath the floor of such room shall be provided
with adequate means of ventilation.
(e) Every drain passing under any such room shall be properly
structed of a gas and watertight pipe with gas and watertight
joints.
(/) Such room shall be effectually protected against the rising of any
effluvia or exhalation by means of a layer of good cement concrete at
least six inches thick laid upon the soil of the site of the entire room,
or by some other equally effective means.
(g) Every such room which is without a fireplace and a flue properly con-
structed and properly connected with such fireplace, shall be provided
with special and adequate means of ventilation by a sufficient
aperture or air-shaft, which shall provide an unobstructed sectional
area of 100 square inches at the least.
(h) Such room shall have one or more windows opening directly into
the external air, with a total area clear of the sash frames equal to
at least one-tenth of the floor area of the room, and so constructed
that one-half, at least, of every such window can be opened, and
that the opening may in every case extend to the top of the window.
A special inspection was begun of. underground rooms in
certain streets of the Borough during the autumn of 1911. In
Landseer Street a large number of basement rooms were found to
be occupied in contravention of the Act. The total number of
rooms inspected was 78, of which 35 were found to be illegally
occupied. The structural defects and the number of rooms in
which defects were found were as follows:—
No proper area provided 35
Space beneath floor insufficiently ventilated 35
Site not concreted 35
Other defects 20
In 14 cases the illegal occupation of the rooms was at once
discontinued. In the remaining cases the owners were called upon
to carry out the necessary structural alterations to make the rooms
comply with the Act and the regulations made thereunder within
a reasonable time, and were informed that in default of compliance
Closing Orders would be made by the Council.
Houses Let in Lodgings.
In the Borough of Battersea there are a small number of houses
let in lodgings under circumstances which render it desirable in
the interest of public health that they should be registered and
inspected at regular intervals.
By the end of 1910, 123 premises were on the register and
no additional house was registered during the year.