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49
SECTION D
HOUSING
(In conjunction with Mr. W.C. Bartlett, Chief Public Health Inspector).
The Minister of Housing and Local Government confirmed Orders under Part III, Housing
Act, 1957, in relation to the under-mentioned Clearance Areas:
Nos. 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32 Monsell Road (14 houses).
Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
Camden Walk 59 and 60 Duncan Terrace, 32 Camden Passage (23 houses).
In addition, the Playford Road Area comprising 44 houses was represented and declared
to be a Clearance Area by the Council.
In my previous report, reference was made to the problem arising from houses in multiple
occupation. Many of the older type properties in the Borough are bought by owners,
who let single room lettings which in many cases are occupied by persons of different
nationalities, habits and customs. There is often an insufficiency of sanitary accommodation
and other amenities, and action under Section 36 of the Housing Act, 1957, could result in
the owner decrowding the house by a reduction in the number of families or individuals.
Families evicted would therefore be in desperate need of accommodation, Not only could the
owner decrowd, but tenants protected under the Rent Act would lose their protection. It was
for this reason that many such properties were dealt with on an informal basis. The Housing
Act, 1961, however, gives local authorities considerable new powers for dealing with bad
living conditions in houses in multiple occupation. It provides for a code of management
and the Minister may make regulations for the purpose of ensuring that proper standards of
management are observed. In addition, where the state of the property is defective, with
regard to several specified matters, a notice can be served by the local authority which in
default is able to carry out the work and recover the cost incurred. It is hoped that this
Statute will go a long way to remove difficulties experienced in Islington over the past
few years, but there are some hundreds of these houses and progress in dealing with this
urgent problem may be delayed by staffing difficulties.
The Minister of Housing and Local Government confirmed Byelaws made by the Council
for adequate artificial lighting on any common staircase in tenement houses and flats. These
Byelaws came into operation on the 1st March this year.
In three cases, authority was given for appropriate action to be taken to secure
adequate lighting on the common staircase and this will be followed up to secure compliance
with the Council's requirements.
In view of the urgent need to provide as many homes as possible without delay, the
London County Council decided to erect on certain unused sites in their ownership (the
permanent development of which is unlikely to take place for a period of at least two years)
temporary housing accommodation to be used to augment the County Council's general housing
pool.
Difficulty is often experienced in preventing property which is vacated and the subject
of a Closing Order from becoming derelict and thus a Public Health nuisance. Considerable
publicity was given during the year to one particular area, but in conjunction with
the London County Council, the nuisance was abated.
In order that investigations may be made on alleged overcrowding, it is often necessary
for Inspectors to be engaged after normal working hours. In one case it was necessary for
Inspectors to carry out inspections on two occasions before midnight.