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In the area dealt with to date, the houses mainly consist of a basement and three
storeys, with a back addition, usually to the basement and ground floors. In some cases,
the basement rooms are subject to closing orders. In the past, these houses have been
occupied by a family on each floor, but due largely to the settling of immigrants in this
area, many have been found to be in one-room lettings. The majority of the houses in the
area have no bathroom and, generally, there is one internal water closet situated on the
ground floor or first half-landing, with an external water closet in the rear yard, the latter
normally used only by the basement tenant.
The requirements generally have, therefore, been for the provision of at least
one bath inevery house, and in some cases an additional internal water closet, together with
a hot water supply, exclusive facilities for the cooking, preparation and storage of food in
each separate letting, and satisfactory means of escape from fire.
Where there are one-room lettings it has been found mainly that kitchens are
shared or cooking facilities are provided on landings. In these cases, the provision of hot
and cold water supplies, sinks, food storage and cooking facilities have also been required
within each letting.
In a number of cases, the baths have been installed in the ground floor back
addition rooms and, where additional water closet accommodation has been necessary, it has
been possible to provide it in the new bathroom, in those cases where there is a separate
water closet also available.
Where the back addition rooms are occupied, the bathrooms have been provided
by building up the back addition by an additional storey.
STAFF
The Council has established a section consisting of a senior and five other public
health inspectors for this work on houses in multiple occupation.
At the end of April, 1965, four of the inspectors engaged on this work had left
the Council's service in the preceding eight months. This had a serious effect on the progress
of the work, as replacement staff were difficult to obtain. Apart from the general
shortage of public health inspectors in the Greater London area, it was difficult to recruit
staff with the necessary experience to carry out this work, which is not of a congenial or
attractive nature. At the same time, these frequent changes of staff caused a serious lack
of continuity even when replacements were found. However, after action was taken by the
Council to regrade these posts, no further inspectors were lost from the section and replacements
were found so that at the end of the year only one post remained vacant.