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48
SECTION D
HOUSING
The Public Health (London) Act, 1936, was the principal Act operated to
ensure the maintenance of property in a state free from nuisance. As mentioned in
previous Reports, houses in Islington are mainly between 80 and 100 years old, and
have been affected considerably by war-time conditions. Recourse had to be made
to prosecutions in many instances, and owners, finding the properties uneconomic,
had to be summonsed—in many cases repeatedly—for non-compliance of Abatement
Orders obtained from the Court. In certain cases, where owners were able to show
that compliance with Notices in respect of underground rooms would have been
uneconomic. Closing Order procedure under the Housing Act, 1936, was adopted,
the families in occupation being re-housed.
Difficulty continued to arise in respect of houses which were structurally sound
but uneconomic to repair and put into a fit state for human habitation due to the
high cost of labour and materials. Such properties cannot be dealt with under
Section 9 of the Housing Act, 1936, and therefore can only be dealt with by
demolition procedure.
Action under Sections 11 and 12 of the Housing Act, 1936, was taken, resulting
in the closing of part or the demolition of whole houses as the case may be, in a
number of instances, and in certain cases undertakings were accepted from the owner
not to re-let until the Council were satisfied that the property had been made fit
for human habitation.
The housing situation being so acute in the Borough, and having regard to the
fact that over a thousand cases of overcrowding were brought forward on 1st
January this year, it is impossible to anticipate any improvement in the situation in
the foreseeable future. It is difficult, if not impossible, to enforce by recourse to the
Courts the statutory housing standard as provided for in Part IV of the Housing
Act, 1936.
Arrangements existed with the Government of Cyprus whereby the
Borough Council is notified of the address at which an immigrant from Cyprus
intends to stay upon arrival. On receipt of this information, an inspection is carried
out to ascertain whether or not the proposed accommodation is sufficient, in accordance with the requirements of the Housing Act, and the Commissioner is notified
accordingly. In spite of these arrangements, there is nothing to prevent Cypriots
moving about, having once entered the Country via the accommodation address, and
cases of overcrowding arising as a result of such movements have had to be
investigated.
Pursuant to Part III of the Housing Act, 1936, the area known as the Metropolitan Borough of Islington (Whadcoat Street—Part I) Compulsory Purchase
Order was represented to the Council and later, after public enquiry, was confirmed
by the Minister of Housing and Local Government. This area, which is approximately 1.5 acres in extent, includes the portion of Whadcoat Street lying between
Biggerstaff Street and Lennox Road, and comprises the following properties:—
Nos. 54 and 54a Whadcoat Street.
Nos. 56/60 (even) inclusive, Whadcoat Street.
Nos. 68/104 (even) inclusive, Whadcoat Street.
Nos. 79/110 (odd) inclusive, Whadcoat Street.
Nos. 61/67 (odd) inclusive, Whadcoat Street.