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improvement grants paid at the discretion of the local authority.
The distinctive features of the new system are that these grants
are payable only in respect of the provision of specified standard
amenities and on the expenditure actually incurred for this purpose;
and that provided certain conditions are satisfied the owner
of the property can claim the grant as of right. The new system
has been designed to produce as simple a procedure as possible and
enable owners generally to form a reasonably accurate idea of the
assistance they can hope to receive before any expense is incurred.
It is designed to deal in the main with relatively straightforward
cases in which the improvements involve little or no structural
alteration, leaving the present system of discretionary grants to
deal with the more elaborate proposals.
There are five standard amenities (listed in Section 4(l)
as shown below) eligible for standard grant, which is one half of
the cost shown to have been incurred in executing the works involved,
subject to a maximum payment of £155.
The maximum payment is reduced by the amount shown in
parenthesis in cases where the particular provision is omitted,
as having been already provided:-
(a) A fixed bath or shower in a bathroom (£25)
(b) A wash-hand basin (£5)
(c) A hot water supply (£?5)
(d) A water closet for the dwelling (£40)
(e) Satisfactory facilities for storing food (£10)
These amenities mast be for the exclusive use of the
occupants of the particular dwelling. The dwelling must after
improvement be equipped with all five standard amenities; conversely.,
grant is not payable towards the cost of providing a
second water closet or other amenity if there is already one in
the house. If a hot water supply is provided, it must be connected
to a sink as well as to the bath or shower and wash-hand
basin (Section 4(5))°
No application for a standard grant can be entertained
if the dwelling concerned was provided after the end of 1944, with
one exception. If the dwelling was produced by conversion and
the original building was erected before the end of 1944, then
provided the conversion was completed not later than the end of
1958, the dwelling will be eligible for standard grant purposes
(Section 4(6)).
As under the existing discretionary grant system, for
grant to be payable the approval of the authority must be obtained
before work is begun and the work must be done to their satisfaction
(Section 4(l)).
During 1962, four applications for standard grants were
received in respect of individual premises. Of these, three were
refused as the statutory conditions were not complied with, The
application approved was in respect of the provision of a washbasin
(£5).