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59
In addition the following areas were represented and declared to be Clearance Areas
by the Council:-
Elmore Street Area - Nos. 118, 120, 122, 124, 126 128 130, 132, 134, 136, Elmore
Street (10 houses).
Lonsdale Place Area - Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6 7, 8, 9, 10 11 Lonsdale Place (9 houses).
Housing Act 1961
As mentioned in my previous report the Housing Act 1961 has given local authorities
new and strengthened powers to deal with houses in multiple occupation. The implementation
of this Statute calls for the fullest co-operation by local authorities, owners and
tenants.
The Minister of Housing and Local Government issued the Housing (Management of
Houses in Multiple Occupation) Regulations 1962 which provide a Code of Management which a
local authority may apply by Order to any house wholely or partly let in lodgings or
occupied by members of more than one family, which is in an unsatisfactory condition in
consequence of defective management. In the case of a building which comprises separate
dwellings (e.g. a tenement building or a block of flats), the Regulations may be applied
in circumstances mentioned in Section 21 of the Act to the building as a whole instead of
individual dwellings therein.
In Circular No. 16/62 the Minister gave in an accompanying memorandum general
guidance on the application of the Housing Act, 1961. These powers fall into four main
groups.
An entirely new power to apply a Code of Management to individual houses in which
proper standards of management have not been observed,
Stronger powers to require the provision of additional facilities and amenities
essential to decent living conditions and the provision of adequate means of
escape from fire.
A new power for local authorities to carry out work in default and recover the
cost.
A power, also new, to make a direction limiting the number of persons who may
live in a house, or part of a house, which is in multiple occupation
The Housing (Prescribed Forms) (Amendment) Regulations 1962 amended certain
prescribed forms and added new forms for the purpose of Part II of the Housing Act, 1961.
During the year a survey of multiple occupied houses was commenced and 128
inspections of individual houses and 393 inspections of flats in buildings falling within
Section 21 of the Housing Act, 1961 were carried out. These inspections confirmed that the
older type of property in the Borough is being purchased by owners who let single or tworoom
lettings to persons of different nationalities, habits and customs. Many of these
families are compelled by varying circumstances to share accommodation thus creating a
considerable problem .
The ideal would be to provide each family with its own facilities and amenities but
due to many premises being old and badly arranged it is not a practical proposition.
The Council being aware of this fact have adopted a Code of Practice which it is hoped
will achieve the minimum desired facilities in unfit houses. In the case of many blocks of