View report page

39
HOUSING
In certain instances the "conversion" has been known to be on very undesirable plans,
but with which there was found no power to interfere either under the Building, the Public
Health or Housing Acts. In two instances the attention of the Ministry of Health was
specially directed to the premises which were inspected by Officers of the Ministry. In one
instance a large house of four floors above a basement was found—following a complaint—to
contain a family on each floor with "caretakers" in the basement. No alterations or
adaptations had been made and three of the families were cooking their food in bedrooms.
The basement was indescribably filthy. An Officer from the Ministry of Health inspected the
premises at the request of the Medical Officer of Health.
What may be described as "jerry conversions" are to be deprecated anywhere, but when
they are made in high-class residental districts the ill-effects become more notable. The
greater density of population on the land and in the houses cannot fail to lower the standard
of health of such districts, and the change in the class of residents inevitably results in
depreciation of value of the property to be followed by lower rentals and extension of
"conversion" on inferior standards. The final result, unless the question be taken up quickly
and new legislation enacted to cope with the evil, can only be the degradation into unhealthy
areas of blocks of properts' at the present time well known for their healthy surroundings and
social amenities. Applications to ground landlords for their assistance by enforcing the
covenants of ground leases or regulating conversion, have had, so far, practically no results.
Up to the end of 1920 only one owner—a freeholder—had availed himself of the provisions
of Sec. 27 of the Act of 1919. After appeal by the applicant to the King's Bench, the Judge
-of the County Court made an Order giving relief to certain restrictive covenants between
adjacent owners and sanctioned the conversion of the house subject to the approval by the
Borough Council of the proposed alterations.
Compulsory Repairs.—Under Sec. 75 of the Housing of the Working Classes Act,
1890, a contract to let a house to a person of the working class implied a condition that the
house was at the time of letting reasonably fit for human habitation, and Sec. 15 of the
Housing, Town Planning, etc. Act, 1909, made such contract include (by implication) an
undertaking to keep the house—or part of the house—in all respects reasonably fit for
human habitation. The last-mentioned section gave the local authority power to intervene
if the house be not so maintained and call upon the owner to execute works deemed to be
necessary. In the event of the owner not carrying out the works, the local authority had
power to do the same and recover the cost as a civil debt.
Section 28 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc. Act, 1919, re-enacts (without repealing)
the provisions of Sec, 15 of the Act of 1909, but—Sub Sec. 3—makes the cost of the works
a charge upon the house. The effect of this alteration in the manner of recovery of expenses
should give much greater security to the local authority, as all persons having an interest in
the house—not merely the receiver of the rack rent—are liable to the extent of their respective
interests, for repayment of the work.
The provisions of Sec. 30 of the Act of 1919, should be of use in securing that this
class of property is maintained in good repair, as the Section authorises the "High Court
of Justice" (in respect of London houses) to determine the ground lease when satisfactory
proof is given of neglect to keep the house in proper repair.
At the end of 1920, the administrative details for giving effect to the provisions of Sec. 28
were still in an experimental state but notices had been issued with respect to 141 houses—
6 in 1919 and 135 in 1920—of which 27 had been complied with. In 4 instances work had
been undertaken by the Council but the repairs were not completed before the close of the
year.
There is good reason to believe that the provisions of this Section will be found to
be of special utility in the Borough, improvement schemes being almost impracticable at
present and likely to remain so for some years. Unfortunately the preparation of the reports
required for the drafting of the Notices, takes a very long time and the Staff of the
Department, being otherwise fully engaged, cannot give so much time to this work as
could be desired.
Unhealthy Areas.—Mention has been made of certain areas which are recognised by
the Department as in need of action under the Housing Acts. The list given (See p. 37)
does not include all considered by the Officers of the County Council as "unhealthy."
Certain of the latter are ripe for re-construction and re-planning by reason of the expiry of
the ground leases. Had times been normal, reconstruction on a considerable scale would be
in progress in the Borough. As things are, re-construction and improvement schemes cannot
be undertaken by the Council partly on account of the prohibitive expenditure involved, but
mainly because there is no accommodation available for the inhabitants who would be
displaced by such schemes.