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HOUSING.
The early part of the year saw the completion of the survey
of dwelling houses in the Borough which was carried out in
order to comply with the provisions of Section I of the Housing
Repairs and Rents Act, 1954. Consultations took place with
the London County Council at Officer level to agree the properties
which should be included in the joint proposals to be
submitted to the Minister. A copy of these proposals is set
out on pages 45 & 46.
Further consultations also took place with the County
Council to decide the areas to be dealt with by each Authority
during the next five years and whilst agreement was rapidly
reached for the majority of the areas concerned, negotiations
were still in progress at the end of the year with regard to two
or three areas in which both Councils were interested.
Slum Clearance.
The last of the Clearance Areas to be dealt with by the
Borough Council under the 1951/55 programme was represented
by the Medical Officer of Health in February of the year under
review; this was the Atwell Street area which involved 34
houses. The Council made a Compulsory Purchase Order in
respect of the land comprised in the Clearance Area which was
confirmed by the Minister after a Public Local Inquiry had
been held.
Individual Unfit Houses.
The action taken by the Council during the year in respect
of individual unfit houses and parts of premises is set out in
the table appearing on pages 44 & 45. Those cases where closure
or demolition of the premises was involved presented the
Council with some difficult problems of rehousing. The Housing
Acts do not impose any legal obligation on the local authority
to rehouse the occupants of such properties or parts of buildings,
as is the case with Clearance Areas, and this Council has therefore,
appointed a sub-Committee consisting of representatives
of the Public Health and Housing Management Committees to
investigate the circumstances of each case to decide whether
it would be appropriate for alternative accommodation to be
offered by the Council. In the majority of instances the
displaced families were rehoused by the Council when the Closing
Orders became operative.