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Action under section 29 of the Housing Act, 1919 (now section 5
of the Housing Act, 1925).
During 1925, 24 cases relating to 26 houses were reported to
the Housing Committee for contravention of section 29 of the
Housing Act, 1919 (now section 5 of the Housing Act, 1925), which
requires the rent book to be kept in a prescribed form.
In two cases proceedings were taken, and in the remainder the
Committee directed cautionary letters to be sent to the respective
owners.
During the period 1921-1925, 107 cases relating to 169 houses
have been reported to the Committee for contravention of this
section.
Insanitary Areas.
No additional insanitary areas were represented during 1925.
During the year considerable progress was made with the Improvement
Scheme in the Plough Road area. Owing to the difficulty
of re-housing the tenants the demolition of the existing houses
had to be proceeded with block by block, i.e., as soon as the first
block of tenements (which were erected on a vacant site) were completed
and ready for occupation the tenants of the succeeding block
were transferred to the new tenements and the vacated houses
demolished in turn. This necessarily gave rise to considerable
delay, as well as increasing the cost of the scheme, but in view of
the requirements of the Housing Act and the absence of alternative
accommodation no other course was practicable.
The first block (six tenements) was completed in July, 1925,
and the second block (six tenements) was well advanced by the
end of the year.
Each block consists of six tenements, which are approached by a
common staircase, and each tenement contains three rooms and
scullery. On the recommendation of the Housing Committee, it
was decided, in addition to electric light, that electric cooking and
heating apparatus be installed in all rooms except the living room, in
which an "inter-oven" stove was provided. The charge made to
the tenant was fixed at the rate of one shilling per week and one
penny per unit for all electricity consumed for all purposes.
This additional proposal was sanctioned by the Ministry of
Health on condition that no part of the cost of the installation
should rank for financial assistance.
Byelaws—Houses Let in Lodgings.
The draft byelaws made by the London County Council under
section 94 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, as amended and
extended by Section 26 of the Housing Town Planning Act, &c., 1919,
and Section 14 of the Housing Act, 1923, were still the subject of
discussion between the County Council, Ministry of Health and the
Borough Councils at the end of 1925.*
* These Byelaws came into force March, 1926.