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29
local authority development, and the responsibility for dealing with
those areas appears to rest naturally with the intending developing
authority.
At the end of the year, final decision on the allocation of slum
clearance operations between the two authorities had not been made.
Clearance Areas.
The London County Council have declared the Edensor Gardens
area and the North Wharf Road area to be clearance areas under
Section 25 of the Housing Act, 1936, and decided to acquire the lands
in the areas for the purpose of Part III of the Housing Act, 1936,
together with adjoining lands which in the opinion of the County
Council are reasonably necessary for the satisfactory development
of the areas. The compulsory purchase orders will be submitted
to the Minister of Housing and Local Government for confirmation
in due course.
Fumigation.
Associated Fumigators Limited, under an agreement with the
Council, removed and treated the furniture and effects of 51(18)
families with hydrogen cyanide gas during the year. The cost of
the work was £315(£147). The charge for this work is £10 10s. per
van per day. The charge made by the Council to persons whose
furniture and effects are dealt with under this agreement is £5 5s. 0d.
Houses Unfit for Human Habitation.
No. of basement rooms dealt with by closing orders 35(37)
No. of houses dealt with by closing orders (Local
Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1953) 1(—)
No. of houses dealt with' by demolition orders or in
respect of which undertakings were accepted —(4)
No persons were displaced as a result of the Council's operations.
Closing orders were determined or undertakings cancelled on
thirty (19) basement rooms, and the upper parts of six (3) mews
premises. Twenty-eight (34) other basement rooms were made fit
without recourse to formal proceedings.
One prosecution for allowing the illegal occupation of basement
rooms closed for human habitation are reported under "Legal
Proceedings."