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The accommodation at the Public Health Department was already
strained to the limit and, in order to house this new housing section,
it was decided to convert the coach house and stable at the rear of
the Red House, Hornton Street, for the accommodation of the additional
staff. The work on this office conversion was completed in October,
1963.
Difficulty was encountered in securing qualified staff as
technical assistants. In view of the nation wide shortage of public
health inspectors, and the even greater shortage in the London area,
it was decided to attempt to recruit assistants with sufficient
experience to undertake routine inspections, but, despite several
advertisements, the type of applicant was generally quite unsuitable
with regard to experience and qualification to undertake the work
involved. As a result, a further effort was made to secure public
health inspectors and by the end of 1963 it was possible to assign four
inspectors to this work, together with the clerical staff referred to
above. The full establishment of six public health inspectors was
reached early in 1964.
Two public health inspectors had been engaged on the preliminary
work for some time prior to the completion of the office
accommodation and inspections had commenced. A system was devised to
deal with the house-to-house inspection, report, preparation and
service of all necessary notices, for when it was eventually possible
to commence the operation on a full scale. The procedure involved
under the Act of 1961 is complicated and calls for very close liaison
between the officers of the Town Clerk's and Medical Officer of
Health's Departments.
It was decided that the purpose of the inspections should be
threefold:-
(i) to secure, under section 12 of the Housing Act,
1961, the satisfactory management of all premises
in multiple occupation;
(ii) to obtain the installation of satisfactory
sanitary facilities and amenities under
section 15 of the Housing Act, 1961, to comply
with the standards made by the Council; and
(iii) to secure the repair of houses under section 9
of the Housing Act, 1957.
Action taken
Inspections were commenced in the Golborne Ward area adjoining
Kensal New Town where the Council's slum clearance programme is
in progress.
The first road to be dealt with was St. Ervan's Road,
followed by Wornington Road (south-east of Golborne Road), Swinbrook
Road and Bevington Road, and, by the end of the year, 296 houses
had been inspected. The following table summarises the action
taken by December 31st, 1963:-
Houses inspected 296
No action required 27
Management orders made 27
Notices served:
Section 9-Housing Act, 1957 105
Section 15-Housing Act, 1961 117
Section 16-Housing Act, 1961 2
Negotiations in progress 6
Work in progress 96
Work completed 27
Work in default authorised 4