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REGISTRATION OF HAIRDRESSERS
The number of hairdressing establishments registered under the Greater London
Council (General Powers) Act, 1967, is 216. Few contraventions of the byelaws
made under the Act were found. In view of the increase in the use of wigs, hairdressers
and wigmakers were warned of the dangers of using benzene, carbon
tetrachloride and trichloraethylene for cleaning wigs, except in the open air or in
well-ventilated rooms.
HOUSING ACTS 1957-1969
(a) Clearance Areas
These are formed when groups of houses are found to be unfit for habitation
under Section 4 of the Housing Act, 1957, as amended by the Housing Act, 1969,
and when it is felt that the best method of dealing with conditions in an area is
by demolition of all the properties. Following the declaration of an area, one of
two ways of achieving this result is open to the Council: the first by way of a
clearance order, or the more common procedure of acquiring the houses and
land, generally by making a compulsory purchase order, so that the Council are
able to carry out redevelopment. A survey of the Borough was carried out during
1969 to identify possible areas for this action in the years 1970-73. As a result,
comparatively few areas of this nature are now thought to require this treatment.
(b) Individual Unfit Dwellings
There are several ways by which unfit dwellings are required to be made fit.
Those which are found capable of being made fit at reasonable expense can be
dealt with under Section 9 of the Housing Act 1957, by the service of notices. It
is usual to serve an informal notice before taking formal action. The latter, if
not complied with, can be subject to default action whereby the Council have
the work done by the invitation of tenders and arranging a contract with a
builder. The cost of this work can then be recovered in one of several ways.
When the dwellings or parts of buildings are found to be unfit and not capable
of being made fit at reasonable expense action can be initiated under Section 16
of the Housing Act, 1957, for the service of time and place notices. Undertakings
can then be accepted from owners either to have the works carried out to make
the premises fit for habitation or to cease using them for this purpose. If an
undertaking is not accepted a demolition order (or a closing order in lieu) for a
whole house or a closing order for part of a building can be made.
In the case of Council loans for house purchase a schedule of work to make
the house fit is made a condition of a loan. In this way many cases of unfitness
are dealt with.
Again, by the requirement that any grant made for improvement must result
in the dwelling concerned being fit for habitation, much is achieved by this
process.
A further method is by way of the qualification certificate procedure, a new
concept brought in by the Housing Act, 1969. Under this the tenancy of a
controlled dwelling reaching the required standard, which includes fitness for
habitation, will qualify, on the issue of a certificate, for conversion to a regulated
basis and subject to fair rent fixing. The incentive provided by this method
results in dwellings being made fit with the minimum of effort by the Council.
(c) Houses in Multiple Occupation
The basic powers for dealing with these houses is contained in the Housing Act,
1961. As much attention as possible is given to these premises, as living conditions
in many of them present the department with its most urgent public health
problem. The powers which have been extended by the Housing Acts 1964 and
1969 include provisions for dealing with management, additional amenities, means
of escape from fire, the limiting of occupation and control of conditions by
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