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47
Discretionary grants are available for a wide range of improvements,
including conversions to self-contained dwellings, to enable
houses to be modernised and brought up to a "twelve point" standard.
They are paid solely at the discretion of the Council, have a maximum
of £400 for each dwelling, and are made under the Housing (Financial
Provisions) Act, 1958. During the year 81 applications were investigated
and reported on.
Moveable dwellings
During the year the overall position in London as far as homeless
families were concerned became even more acute and in an effort to
ameliorate this, the County Council decided in 1962 to set up prefabricated
moveable dwellings on various vacant sites. These dwellings
are connected to the main services (water, electricity and drainage)
and they, and their surroundings have to conform to regulations
unofficially agreed between the metropolitan boroughs. Four sites had
been licensed in Lewisham by the end of the year, with room for 52
dwellings.
On housing work generally, Mr. Brittain, the group housing
inspector states:
"Following upon a circular issued by the Ministry of Housing and
Local Government in 1962, an effort was made to speed up the use of
improvement grants by concentrating on a large block of dwellings.
The area chosen contained 186 houses of which 156 needed some or all
of the amenities obtainable under the grant scheme. Explanatory
booklets were sent to each address, together with an invitation to a
public meeting, which was held in a local school during March presided
over by the Chairman of the Public Health Committee (Councillor
Hawkins), and at which officers were present to answer questions.
The result was disappointing as the attendance was very poor and only
five applications for improvement grants have been received from this
area. Over the whole borough the interest shown was more encouraging
with 81 discretionary grants and 69 standard grants giving an overall
increase of nearly 22% on last year. Approximately 15% of the total
were in respect of tenanted properties. Conversions of houses into two
or more self-contained flats were carried out under ten of the discretionary
grants, so providing additional units of accommodation,
and a further two cases each provided six flatlets for old people together
with a flat for a resident warden. There was an increase in the number
of notices served under section 9 of the Housing Act, 1957, also, action
for closure or demolition was taken in five cases and two properties
which were subject to closing orders were repaired and made fit for
habitation.
Houses in multiple occupation were dealt with under the Housing
Act, 1961, mainly for the provision of required amenities or to control
the total number of persons per house. It has been necessary in two
cases to use the power given by section 12 of the Act to apply a code of
management where conditions are well below standard. In December
an appeal against a section 15 notice, requiring additional amenities,
was heard at Bromley County Court and was dismissed. During the year
fourteen notices were served under this section."