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ment that it would be forthwith cleared, or, subject to ministerial
approval, they may utilise the land for some purpose for which
they have statutory powers.
In a clearance area all the buildings are required to be
demolished either because they are (a) unfit for human habitation
on account of disrepair or sanitary defects or (b) dangerous
or injurious to health of the inhabitants of the area by reason
of their bad arrangement or the narrowness or bad arrangement
of the streets. Properties which do not fall within these
categories cannot be included in an area. Property included
in a clearance area can be purchased at site value subject, where
the site is to be used for rehousing, to a reduction, whereas
a modified market value must be paid for property surrounded
by or adjoining a clearance area and which is reasonably required
to secure an area of convenient shape and size.
New and important provisions have been included in the
Act for what are termed "Improvement Areas." These relate
to areas in which the houses are not in such a bad condition as to
justify the demolition of all the houses in the area. Great improvement,
it is pointed out, can be effected by the removal of
the worst houses and obstructive buildings; by the carrying out
of necessary repairs; and by re-housing the surplus population
elsewhere. It will, of course, be necessary to ensure that the
area is not allowed to again become in a bad state.
Part II. of the Act deals with the repair of individual unfit
houses. A sharp distinction is drawn between those which can
and those which cannot be rendered fit at a reasonable cost. In
the former case the person having control of the house is required
to repair it and in default the local authority may themselves do
the work and recover the cost. In the latter the house is to be
demolished unless the owner undertakes that either the house
shall cease to be used for habitation or alternatively that he is
prepared to carry out the work which the local authority consider
necessary to render it fit within a specified time.
It is an essential part of any action taken by a local authority
in regard to either clearance or improvement areas or individual
unfit houses that accommodation shall be available for the persons
displaced. In this connection financial assistance is offered by
the Government at a rate which it is suggested will enable the
local authority to re-house the displaced persons at a rental which
they can afford.
The part of the Act dealing with Improvement Areas, which
is entirely new, appears to be the most promising part of the Act
in dealing with old, worn out property. There are many such
areas in the Borough containing this class of property which it is
desirable to pull down, repair or otherwise deal with.
Except in the case of small areas the authority for dealing
with Improvement Areas, so far as London is concerned, is the