London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Kensington 1962

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough.

This page requires JavaScript

- 45 -
grant payable is one half of the approved expenditure (which must
not be less than £100) subject to a maximum allowance of £400.
In considering a scheme of improvement or conversion
submitted for grant, only one question may properly be asked,
namely, whether it will produce a satisfactory modernised dwelling
complying with the statutory conditions and the specified
ments.
The requirements which the Minister of Housing and Local
Government has specified for a dwelling, in respect of which an
improvement grant may be made, are as follows
The dwelling must, after improvement or conversion-
1. Be in a good state of repair and substantially
free from damp;
2. have each room properly lighted and ventilated;
3. have an adequate supply of wholesome water laid
on inside the dwelling;
4. be provided with efficient and adequate means
of supplying hot water for domestic purposes;
5. have an internal or otherwise readily accessible
water closet;
6. have a fixed bath (or shower) preferably in a
separate room;
7. be provided with a sink or sinks and with
suitable arrangements for the disposal of
waste water;
8o have a proper drainage system;
9. be provided in each room with adequate points
for gas or electric lighting (where reasonably
available);
10. be provided with adequate facilities for
heating;
11. have satisfactory facilities for storing,
preparing and cooking food;
12. have proper provision for the storage of
fuel (where required).

Applications for improvement (discretionary) grants received and dealt with during 1962 are summarised as follows:-

Applications received17
Applications granted14
Applications refused3
Total amount of grants approved£5,067. 0s. 0d.

The second method is to apply for standard grants, which
were introduced by the House Purchase & Housing Act, 1959, which
came into operation on 14th June, 1959. The Act sets up a new
system of standard grants to supplement the present system of