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45
In June the council renewed all the licences, except in the case of No. 66, St. Ann's Road,
as these premises were in a very bad state of repair. The keeper of this house was invited to appear
before the public health committee, and was told that the licence would not be renewed unless
he gave an undertaking to carry out a schedule of necessary repairs prepared by the medical officer
of health. The keeper stated that he was not able to do the work and that his lease of the premises
would expire in December. It was, therefore, decided that the licence should not be renewed, but
that no legal action should be taken provided that the premises were closed before the end of the year.
This house has now been closed, and the premises have been sold; it is contemplated that the site
will be used for a block of flats.
The common lodging house for women at Nos. 25 and 27, Crescent Street, which has been
maintained by Miss Alexander for several years, was closed voluntarily during the year.
There remain in Kensington at the present time only three common lodging houses and,
although these are licensed to receive 54 men and 96 women, a recent census taken at night time
showed only 82 occupants.
It is interesting to recall that in 1923 there were eight common lodging houses in the borough,
three for men and five for women. Those for women were all within a stone's throw of each other
in the Notting Dale area of the Norland ward. From every point of view it is satisfactory that the
number of common lodging houses in Kensington has been so largely reduced, for it is difficult
to avoid the conclusion that the presence of many of the men and women who occupied these places
constituted .an obstacle to the progress of social reform in the neighbourhood.
The three remaining common lodging houses are inspected weekly by officers of the council
to ensure that the keepers and their deputies maintain reasonably good conditions and to secure
compliance with the council's regulations.
Flatlets.
The conversion of houses into one-roomed flatlets first came to my notice in the early part
of 1933, when application was made for permission to make drainage alterations to certain houses in
South Kensington. The plans showed that the owner intended to convert two private-family
residences into a number of self-contained one-roomed flatlets.
It soon became obvious that the practice was growing, and that the council had inadequate
powers to control this type of conversion.
The matter was brought to the notice of the improvements committee, who instructed me to
prepare a report, with the result that in August, 1933, the council passed the following resolution :—
" That representations be made to the London county council and the metropolitan
boroughs' standing joint committee, in favour of the promotion of legislation to enable the
appropriate local authorities to make and enforce by-laws to control the conversion of houses
into flatlets in such a way as to ensure hygienic conditions, and to enable local authorities to
secure hygiene and good management during the occupation of the flatlets."
The majority of the metropolitan borough councils have expressed themselves in favour of
legislation to control these conversions, and their views have been forwarded to the county council,
who are now considering the problem. Officers of the county council have visited flatlets in
Kensington, and I have had various conferences with them in regard to the extent of the powers
required.
There is a very definite demand for flatlets, and they undoubtedly serve a useful purpose ; but,
when single-family houses are being converted into one-roomed flatlets (sometimes 17., 18 or 19 in
one house), it appears desirable that the borough council should have some control over the
following
(a) Lighting and ventilation of bathrooms.
(b) Position and ventilation of water-closets.
(c) Accommodation for the storage and cooking of food, and facilities for washing of utensils
and disposal of waste water.
(d) Storage of refuse.
(e) Periodical cleansing of walls and staircases.
(J) Keeping of animals.
Housing Statistics for 1934.
The Minister of Health has required that certain information shall be given in this annual
report, and I now beg to submit particulars requested by him in Circular 1417 :—
1. Inspection of dwelling-houses during the year :—
(1) (a) Total number of dwelling-houses inspected for housing defects (under
Public Health or Housing Acts) 6,764
(b) Number of inspections made for the purpose 34,468
(2) (a) Number of dwelling-houses (included under sub-head (1) above) which
were inspected and recorded under the Housing Consolidated
Regulations, 1925 1,612
(b) Number of inspections made for the purpose 3,034
(3) Number of dwelling-houses found to be in a state so dangerous or injurious
to health as to be unfit for human habitation (excluding properties
mentioned in five years programme) 2
(4) Number of dwelling-houses (exclusive of those referred to under the
preceding sub-head) found not to be in all respects reasonably
fit for human habitation. 2,687