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To encourage owners to carry out this type of conversion the Council may
make a grant of up to £500 for each dwelling and during the year 17 discretionary
grants were made in respect of 27 dwellings totalling £19,266.18s.6d.
Standard Grants
Some large houses do readily lend themselves to conversion, and many
smaller houses which are suitable for one family occupation lack certain basic
amenities, but otherwise will be fit for occupation for some years.
Owners are persuaded to provide these basic amenities, i.e. a fixed bath or
shower, a wash-hand basin, a hot and cold water supply to bath, basin and sink,
an internal water closet and a food store, and the Council makes a grant of up to
£155 or up to £350 in certain circumstances towards the cost of the work.
During the year 78 standard grants in respect of 102 dwellings were made
totalling £9,987.3s 10d.
Improvement Areas and Improvement of Houses outside Area
Not all owners are willing to take advantage of the Council's grants for
improving houses and the Housing Act 1964, gives the Council power, under
certain conditions, to require the provision of the basic amenities.
The procedure for improvement areas is very protracted and it has not yet
been possible with the staff available, to cany out the necessary preliminary
surveys to see if there are areas in the Borough suitable for this procedure. It
has, however, been possible to deal with individual houses outside of areas and
six notices have been served under this Section during the year.
These notices require the owner be given at least twelve months to carry out
the works, so in no case was the work completed during the year.
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR LONG-STAY IMMIGRANTS
The Minister of Health requested that all Commonwealth Immigrants entering
the country should be visited and given information regarding the National Health
Service and X-ray service.
Port Health Authorities obtain destination addresses from long-stay immigrants
and forward them to the appropriate Local Health Authority. These notices are
passed to the Public Health Inspectors who, where possible, visit with the aim of
ensuring that immigrants learn at an early date how to use the health services and
to encourage those from countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis to have a
chest X-ray as early as possible. If there are any children under five years of age
in the newly arrived family, health visitors are notified.