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39
Individual Unfit Houses not Repairable at Reasonable Cost.
Section 11—Housing Act, 1936.
During the year two houses in Becher Street were represented as unfit for habitation and not
repairable at reasonable cost, but as the premises are situated in an area which is likely to be
redeveloped as a whole, the question of making demolition orders was deferred for the time being.
On 23rd July, 1935, the council made demolition orders in respect of two houses, and the
owners subsequently appealed to the county court against the orders. Between making the orders
and lodging of the appeals, the Housing Act, 1935, received the Royal Assent and altered the law
governing the closing of parts of buildings. This new Act gave an alternative method of dealing
with the two houses and accordingly a conference of all the interested parties took place and the
hearing of the appeals was adjourned by agreement. Eventually the upper parts of the houses
were reconditioned by the owners and the basement underground rooms were closed for human
habitation. In 1937 the demolition orders were formally quashed by the county court judge.
Individual Unfit Parts of Houses not Repairable at Reasonable Cost.
Section 12—Housing Act, 1936.
The following table shows the action taken during 1937 in respect of unfit parts of houses :—
Outside Inside
improvement improvement
areas. areas.
Closing orders made 184 (348 rooms). 18 (36 rooms).
Closing orders determined 23 (43 rooms). 9 (18 rooms).
Undertakings by owners not to use for human
habitation accepted 3 (5 rooms). —
Undertakings by owners to make premises fit
accepted. 52 (98 rooms). 5 (10 rooms).
Undertakings cancelled—premises having been
made fit for habitation 51 (97 rooms). 20 (39 rooms).
Cases of default in undertakings to make
premises fit for habitation (closing orders made) 5 (10 rooms). 5 (10 rooms).
Of the 184 closing orders made outside improvement areas, 183 were in respect of basement
dwellings ; the remaining case was in respect of a dwelling above shop premises.
Of the 183 basements closed outside improvement areas 60 were empty when the closing
orders were made, and in 26 other cases each basement family was able to move to adequate accommodation
upstairs in the same house. This left 97 families (372 persons) to be displaced. Of this
number 59 families (284 persons) were rehoused by the council, or, through their agency, by the
London county council and housing associations.
The 18 closing orders made inside improvement areas refer to basements in the Treverton
Street improvement area, and an account of the steps taken to secure the vacation of these basements
has already been given.
For the past two years the council have not had to resort to legal proceedings to enforce closing
orders.

*Four of the five houses in respect of which the notices were withdrawn were demolished by the
owners and a new building has been erected on the cleared site. In the fifth case a second
notice was served.
†The judge allowed the appeal against the council's notice on a technical point, but the house
has subsequently been satisfactorily reconditioned by the owners.