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62
difficulty they proposed to defer giving their formal decision on the
appeal for a period of one year, on the understanding that, if within
that period any of the houses become vacant, they should not be
relet. The Ministry, however, on 3rd September, modified the
condition imposed so as to allow the reletting of any of the houses
which might become vacant within the next year, provided that the
period of tenancies was limited to 12 months from that date. These
conditions were conveyed to the owners of the property in Middlesex
Wharf by the Ministry.
With regard to the houses in which the owners did not appear
to the Local Government Board, viz., the cottages Nos. 40, 42, 44,
46, 48, 50, 52, 56, 58, 60, and 62, Spring Lane, these are now in
course of reconstruction, involving concrete floors, damp-proof
courses, vertical cementing to a height of 3 feet 6 inches on all
external and internal walls and new concrete roofs. The owner
of No. 38, Spring Lane, who resides on the property, has also
promised to carry out similar work to his house. (No. 38, now
completed, October, 1920.)
In respect to the remaining houses the owners have not yet
undertaken any alterations, but the Council have given permission
for the occupants to remain until such time as the housing accommodation
in the Borough is increased.
It is gratifying to report that no further floods have occurred
since the date of the appeal.
HOUSE REFUSE COLLECTION.
The refuse from houses in the Borough is collected weekly
by Contractors using covered horse-drawn vans, and is destroyed
at the Council's Destructor Works. With few exceptions all the
houses in the Borough are provided with portable dust-bins.
At the early part of the year the control of house refuse
collection was transferred from the late Medical Officer of Health
to the Borough Engineer and Surveyor.
The quantity of house refuse removed during the year, and
the cost of removal, are shown in the table which follows:—