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42
In his report upon repair work under the Housing Acts during 1954,
Mr. Craven, the group housing inspector, states :—
" The outstanding feature of the year was the coming into
operation of the Housing Repairs and Rents Act and its consequent
effect on procedure and action under the Acts of 1936 and 1949.
The principal changes which the new Act brought about in connection
with the department's work were (a) the new standard to be applied
when considering unfitness of dwellings ; (b) the permitted rent
increase for fit properties and its effect on valuations made in
determining ' reasonable cost' ; (c) the necessity for preparing a
programme of action for dealing with unfit houses ; (d) the modification
of the Housing Act, 1949 in relation to improvement grants.
" The new standard of fitness was adopted in connection with
the compiling of schedules of repairs under ss. 9, 11 and 12 of the
1936 Act and was also borne in mind when the survey of the older
properties, to enable the programme to be prepared, was started
towards the end of the year.
" There was a notable increase in the number of applications for
improvement grants, and in the last four months of the year
applications in respect of 16 properties were reported on and approved
by the Finance and Rating Committee. In addition to the grants
approved, many tentative applications were received, which for
various reasons proved to be ineligible. Valuable experience has been
gained in the operation of the grants and in the procedure involved
and it is now possible to give property owners general advice and
guidance and to deal expeditiously with the majority of the points
raised.
" From the standpoint of the health department, it is felt that a
valuable contribution is thus being made by the Council in assisting
owners of older properties who are willing to provide facilities similar
to those which are now regarded as necessary to a healthy life and in
some cases to carry out full conversion of larger houses in multiple
occupation. One of the conditions laid down in the standard of
fitness to be applied to houses subject to grant is that the property shall
be in good repair, and as a result it has been found that owners are
willing to carry out, at their own expense, all the essential repairs
required at the same time as the improvement work. In certain cases
this repair work has been quite a considerable item. It has thus been
possible to bring many properties up to a standard of good repair
without the necessity for formal action by the department."
Overcrowding (section 61)
No applications were received from tenants under this section
during the year.
Clearance areas and individual unfit houses
The following is a copy of a return made to the Ministry of Housing
and Local Government relating to action taken under the Housing and
Public Health Acts during the year ended 31 December, 1954 :—