London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Lewisham 1952

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]

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58
"The policy of notifying property owners, informally, of
defects in cases which would justify action under section 9, was
continued and in general the results have proved encouraging.
Although the total of informal and formal section 9 notices served
was approximately the same as in the previous year, more properties
were repaired by the owner, with a corresponding decrease in the
number of cases where the Council carried out the work in default.
"Clearance Area activity was revived, for the first time since
1939, and much detailed work was done during the year on inspections
of properties in and around Lee Church Street, the compilation of
schedules for each property, and the preparation of maps and data
prior to the official representations made in relation to the Lee
Church Street Clearance Areas. Preliminary inspections were also
made with a view to representing an area in Willow Way, Sydenham.
"Work in connection with an improvement grant, the first to
be approved by the Council under section 20 of the Housing Act,
1949, was started in November and it was necessary to make regular
inspections while the work was in progress to ensure a satisfactory
standard of work and to enable certificates to be given authorising
interim payments of the grant as the work proceeded.
"Towards the end of the year a number of older properties
in selected roads off Lewisham High Street were inspected with a
view to preparing evidence which might be required at a public enquiry
into the Lewisham Clock Tower Development Scheme and the
County of London Plan."
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.
Section 59(3) of the Act covers the case of the family whose house
becomes overcrowded in course of time owing to increases in the number
or ages of children. An occupier whose house becomes overcrowded in
such circumstances is not guilty of an offence if he applies to the local
authority for suitable alternative accommodation unless either suitable
alternative accommodation is offered to him and he refuses it or he fails,
in a particular case in which it would be reasonable and practicable to
do so, to ameliorate the overcrowding by the displacement of some
lodger or subtenant who is not a member of his family. Where,
therefore, the overcrowding occurs by natural increase and the occupier
has not deliberately aggravated it by subsequently taking in additional
persons an application by him for his name to be put on the local
authority's waiting list will in general be sufficient to give him
protection.
During the year three licences were issued under section 61 on the
application of tenants of overcrowded premises, each licence remaining
in force for a period not exceeding 12 months.