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Number of dwelling-houses found not to be in all respects
reasonably fit for human habitation—
(i) Dealt with under Housing Act 1*
(ii) Dealt with under Public Health (London) Act 3,072
Number of defective dwelling-houses rendered fit by informal
action Nil
Number of dwelling-houses in respect of which Statutory
Housing Act notices were served requiring repairs Nil
Number of dwelling-houses in respect of which Public
Health Act notices were served requiring defects to be
remedied 3,072
(3,829 intimation notices)
Number of dwelling-houses in which defects were remedied
after service of formal notices—
(i) By owners 2,408
(2,899 intimation notices complied with)
(ii) By Local Authority in default of owners 2
Number of separate tenements or underground rooms in
respect of which Closing Orders were made Nil
[*Owing to the present conditions an undertaking was accepted from
the owner of this house that it would not be used for habitation instead
of its demolition, which would have affected the structure of adjoining
houses.]
Housing Accommodation. —A considerable portion of the time
of the sanitary inspectorial staff was taken up in the investigation
and report of applications for housing accommodation.
Repair of unfit houses. —Serious difficulties have been experienced
in securing the execution of essential repairs to dwelling
houses, arising from the shortage of building labour and materials,
especially the latter. The provision of new housing accommodation
whether by new building or conversion and adaptation of existing
buildings, is of course of paramount importance and should not be
impeded by unnecessary diversion of labour and materials to other
purposes. It will, however, inevitably be some considerable time
before new accommodation will overcome the present acute shortage,
and in the interim period existing houses must continue to provide
some kind of accommodation however unsatisfactory it may be, for
large numbers of families. It is therefore vitally necessary that
this existing accommodation should be preserved in as good a 'state
of repair as possible. In this connection it should be noted that the
majority of houses in this Borough have had virtually no maintenance
repairs carried out to them since the outbreak of war. This
lack of maintenance is a most serious matter particularly in th e
older and less well built types of house, for it is generally in these
types that housing conditions are at their worst.
Maintenance repairs to existing houses do not under present
arrangements qualify for "W.B.A. Priority" in regard to supply
of materials. During the year some attempt was made by th e