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Staff - Inspectorate.
The establishment of Public Health Inspectors consists of a Chief Public Health Inspector,
Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector, eight Senior Inspectors, sixteen District Public Health
Inspectors and seven Student Inspectors. There were however vacancies for six District Public
Health Inspectors for most of the year, with the inevitable result that certain aspects of this
work were seriously curtailed.
Sanitary Circumstances.
Housing - Preferential Rehousing on Medical Grounds.
All applications with medical recommendations for rehousing are referred to the Medical
Officer of Health, who grades them in the following categories:
(a) That preferential consideration should be given on urgent medical grounds.
(b) That allocation of 'Points', provided for in the Council's scheme, should be made.
(c) That no special action is warranted.
For the nine months ending 31st December 1965 the 812 cases were assessed as follows:-
Category 'A' 146
Category 'B' 408
Category 'C' 234
whilst the remaining 24 were referred back to the Housing Manager for further information.
Only 14 of those recommended on urgent medical grounds were rehoused.
The rehousing of families displaced by slum clearance continues to receive priority. This
means that the hard core of those living in overcrowded dwellings, or suffering from medical conditions
which require better housing, is not decreasing, as it should. A solution to this problem
is not easy to envisage, particularly in Hammersmith, where building sites are at a premium.
Another of Hammersmith's problems is the occupation of the older, larger-type residence
by several families in place of the single family for which it was designed. This frequently gives
rise to unsatisfactory housing conditions, as the change often takes places without provisionof
adequate amenities e.g. water supply, baths, w.c. accommodation. Squalid conditions result from
subsequent loss of privacy and sharing of sanitary arrangements. Overcrowding is due either to
family growth in limited space, or to families being forced to accept inadequate housing because
of shortage of housing accommodation with subsequent high rental charges.
During the year houses in multiple occupation have continued to receive attention. The
Housing Act, 1964, has augmented the provisions of the Housing Act, 1961, for houses in multiple
occupation. The Act enables local authorities to prosecute in cases of non-compliance with
notices served under Sections 14, 15, or 16 of the 1961 Act. Under the 1961 Act the local authority
had to carry out work in default where there had been non-compliance with notices. The New
Act gives local authorities the option of carrying out work in default, or of prosecuting.
Another important amendment of the 1961 Act enables local authorities to combine the
improvement of amenities in a multiple-occupation house with a Direction Order limiting the number
of persons who may live in it. Number of cases in which the Council authorised legal proceedings
:-
1962 - Nil
1963 - 3 cases, (all successful).
1964 - 1 case, (not yet heard).
1965 - 3 cases, (all successful).
Overcrowding in the Borough remains a very serious problem for although there is ample
legislative power, its general enforcement would result only in placing an additional burden on
the Welfare and Children's Services, or in compelling families to leave this Borough and embarrass
other authorities. The Council acts as landlord for 8,346 principal tenants. The properties managed
include houses, flats, pre-fabs, acquired, and converted accommodation.
The following table illustrates the progress made in meeting housing needs:
(7)