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right to apply for a certificate of disrepair, certificates were granted when the premises
were considered to be below a standard - a relatively high standard - of "good repair". No
appeals followed the action of the Council in these cases, and no real friction occurred in
the day to day administration, despite the fact that the provisions were complicated, new in
many respects, and largely concerned with matters of opinion,
Applications for Certificates of Disrepair .. .. .. 142
Certificates of Disrepair issued .. .. .. .. .. 109
Applications refused .. .. .. .. .. .. 33
Applications for Revocation Certificates .. .. .. .. 137
Revocation Certificates issued .. .. .. .. .. 112
Applications refused .. .. .. .. .. .. 25
Houses in Multiple Occupation (Sections 11 and 12)
The Act contains new provisions which replace the power to make bye-laws for houses let
in lodgings and hostels by a general power to require in any houses which are in multi
occupation an adequate provision for the following services and amenities:-
Natural lighting.
Ventilation.
Water supply.
Drainage and Sanitary Conveniences.
Facilities for storage, preparation and cooking
of food, and for the disposal of waste water.
Where, in the opinion of the Council, premises are found to be so defective in the
above-mentioned matters as not to be reasonably suitable for the number of persons or households
in occupation, they may serve a notice on the person in control specifying the works
required. The Act, however, goes on to give a person in receipt of such a notice an
alternative of taking steps reasonably open to him (including, if necessary, the taking of
legal proceedings) for securing a reduction of the number of persons accommodated or the
number of households, or both, as specified in the notice. A similar alternative is given
if the council serves a notice regarding this type of house requesting abatement of overcrowding.
It is too soon to conment on these changes in legislation, but first impressions
are that the indiscriminate implementation of these provisions would cause grave rehousing
difficulties and hardship.
Improvement Grants (Housing Act 1949 - Section 20) as amended by Section 16 of the Housing
Rent and Repairs Act 1954
I am indebted to the Borough Architect and Director of Housing for the following
figures:-
Number of applications received .. .. .. .. .. 23
Number referred to Public Health Department for comment .. 18
Number of grants approved .. .. .. .• .. .. 4
Despite the many explanatory pamphlets issued by the Ministry, owners of property do
not appear to be taking advantage of grants. The chief difficulty appears to be the insistence
by the Minister that in cases where conversion into flats is proposed, complete selfcontaining
must be achieved,
The Borough contains many houses of a type which would be considerably improved by
adding the amenities of a fixed bath, additional water-closet, and constant hot water
supply, but quite apart from questions of extra cost, complete self-containing is virtually
impossible.