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All these properties were demolished during the year by the
owners. The whole of the clearance orders confirmed by the Minister
of Health prior to September, 1939 have now been carried to completion.
Numbers 340, 342 and 344, Bromley Road, which were also the
subject of a clearance order, were demolished by enemy action.
Overcrowding (section 61).
Under section 61 of the Housing Act, 1936, the Council is empowered
to issue a licence to an occupier to enable him to remain in
possession of overcrowded premises without committing an offence.
One application for such a licence was received during the year
from an occupier the owner of whose premises was taking steps to
obtain possession on the grounds of overcrowding. The tenant had
resided at the premises concerned for ten years and the overcrowding
had been caused by natural increase in the size of the family. The
applicant had applied to the Council for rehousing. The equivalent
number of persons was 6, the permitted number of persons allowed to
sleep in the premises was 5 and the premises were therefore overcrowded
by 1 person.
A licence was issued to the applicant permitting not more than six
equivalent persons to sleep in the premises for a period not exceeding
12 months from the date of the licence.
Housing Act, 1949
The following summarises the provisions of the Act which may affect
the work of the Department:—
1. Account is taken of the housing conditions and housing
needs of all members of the community, by removing the previous
limitation whereby such conditions and needs were confined to the
provision of housing accommodation and houses for the working
classes.
2. The owner of a house in respect of which a demolition order
became operative before January 1, 1946 may apply, within a period
of 12 months, i.e., up to July 30, 1950, to the local authority by
whom the order was made, to have such order cancelled. If the local
authority are satisfied that, as a result of the execution of works since
the time when the order became operative the house is fit for human
habitation, they may apply to the County Court for an order quashing
the demolition order, which the Judge may make if satisfied that the
house is so fit.
3. Where, under the Act of 1936, a local authority would be
under a duty to make a demolition order with respect to a house of
architectural or historic interest they shall, instead, make a closing
order prohibiting the use of the house for any purpose other than a
purpose approved by them.
4. Local authorities are empowered to advance money for the
purpose of altering, enlarging, repairing or improving houses and
for other purposes specified in the Act.
5. A "house" includes any part of a building, being a part
which is occupied or intended to be occupied as a separate dwelling,
and, in particular, includes a flat.