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Housing Acts, 1961 - Section 19
Fifty-one reports on individual houses were made to Committee, but only twelve
direction orders were made, the same difficulty being experienced in obtaining
information as to ownership and interests as already referred to in the case of
management orders. The power under this section was particularly useful when
exercises in conjunction with notices under Section 15. It was however found to be
time-consuming in the number of visits required to ensure compliance, particularly in
view of the high turnover of tenancies in these houses.
Concentration of Housing work in areas
A number of areas were surveyed as possible improvement areas as defined in the
1964 Housing Act. With the exception of Whewell Road, to which reference is made later,
it was found in each case that most of the houses were in multiple occupation and the
area contained so few 'separate dwellings' , as defined, that this type of action was
not appropriate.
It was decided however to concentrate action under the 1957 and 1961 Acts in
these areas so that a degree of improvement could be obtained.
Further, this method of working proved very economical in inspectors' time and
did not raise so much antagonism as dealing with individual houses. When an individual
house was dealt with and the owner asked to execute works costing several hundred
pounds, it was frequently found that objection was raised on the grounds that the
owner was being 'picked on' .
Work under the 1957 and 1961 Acts, consisting principally of the provision of
amenities (and means of escape in case of fire) under Section 15/16 of the Housing Act
1961, was undertaken in the following areas:-
(i) Essex Road/Northchurch Road/Englefield Road/Southgate Road - 637 lettings,
work started in 1965 proceeded satisfactorily;
(ii) Affleck Street - 105 lettings, a dispute arose between the leaseholder
and the freeholder which has resulted in an appeal being lodged against
the Section 15/16 Notices served;
(iii) Gibson Square - 148 lettings, work proceeded satisfactorily;
(iv) Rickthorne Road/Cornwallis Road/Landseer Road/Kingsdown Road/Stanley
Terrace - 189 lettings, work commenced at year end.
Tenement Blocks
A list classified in three groups was prepared of all blocks:-
(i) those which had been brought up to reasonable modern standards;
(ii) those which appeared capable of and worth being improved to those
standards;
(iii) those for which the only satisfactory treatment would be demolition
(whether or not immediately practicable).
It was agreed broadly with the Greater London Council that the London Borough of
Islington would accept responsibility for group (ii) and the Greater London Council
for group (iii).
Many of the blocks in group (iii) were already included in the slum clearance
programme with each Authority taking a share.
The line of demarcation in the above mentioned agreement was not rigid. This was
shown by the London Borough of Islington's action, in acquiring and accepting
responsibility for Salisbury Buildings, Clerkenwell Close and Albany. Cornwall,
Edinburgh and Queens Cottages, Popham street.
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