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In addition many transfers within Council property took place, in
order to make the best use of existing accommodation and prevent
under occupation.
OVERCROWDING:
It is difficult to estimate the extent of overcrowding in the
Borough - either overcrowding based on the purely legal standard or
what may well be considered to be overcrowding of families living in
cramped conditions, necessitating the use of kitchens as bedrooms, but
not legally overcrowded. At the beginning of 1957 a register was started
of overcrowded families, coming to the notice of the Department. Since
then details of some 163 families have been recorded,in 47 of which the
overcrowding was subsequently abated by rehousing. Generally speaking
however, serious overcrowding is much reduced, and the majority of cases
coming to the notice of the department are only overcrowded to the extent
of ½ or 1 unit, usually caused by natural increase over a period of years.
Twenty eight new cases were noted during 1962.
It is the policy to send strongly worded letters,threatening
prosecution to owners and tenants of dwellings where recent wilful overcrowding
has come to light. Three bad instances were discovered during
the year, all in respect of immigrants. One flat, let to a family, was
being used as a lodging house for single men but the practice of taking
in lodgers ceased after pressure from the department, and following a
decision by the Council to apply for a summons.
In another instance, the parents had failed to disclose the total
number of children in the family and had secured accommodation much too
small to comply with legal standards. After receiving notice to quit,
arrangements were subsequently made to board out some of the children.
The third case was still under discussion at the end of the year, but
there appeared to be little point in instituting legal proceedings.
HOUSES IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION:
The Council welcomed the provisions of the Housing Act 1961
regarding Houses in Multiple Occupation. Considerable thought has been
given to this very Complex subject, bearing in mind the difficulties
that would certainly arise from the wholesale indiscriminate application
of the Act, in an area like Pinsbury. A small pilot survey was carried
out in order to assess the problems and towards the end of the year a
detailed report was prepared for consideration by the Health and Housing
Committees of the Council.
One notice was served during the year under Section 90 of the
Housing Act 1957 laying down the number of persons permitted to
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