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30
with in like manner, and at a special Public Health Committee
called in September, action was taken in respect of 40 houses and a
further 3 in Beethoven Street.
The publication of the Housing Bill, containing many very
important amendments and extensions to the powers of the 1961
Act, coincided with the decision of the Council to strengthen
considerably the Housing Section of the Public Health Department,
and appoint four senior Inspectors for specialist duties under the
Housing Acts.
The Chief Public Health Inspector and myself gave considerable
thought to the best method of using the new Inspectors with the
object of utilising their experience to the full and making the most
effective practical impact on the housing situation.
It was decided that four Housing teams should be formed, each
consisting of an Inspector, a technical assistant and additional
assistance as far as practicable from one of the student public health
inspectors. Each team would operate independently in a selected
area in the Borough and additional clerical staff would be provided
to cope with extra reports and records produced.
This recommendation received the approval of the Council and
the progress of the scheme will be a subject for my 1964 Report.
Another very important recommendation accepted by the
Council was in relation to the fixing of limits under Section 19.
The Housing Act, 1957, already stipulates a legal maximum
(termed the permitted number) for the occupation of separate
dwellings based on the size and number of rooms.
Section 19 of the Housing Act, 1961, empowers the Local
Authority to fix as a limit for the house (or parts thereof) what in
their opinion is the highest number of individuals who should live
in the house (or part) in its existing condition, having regard to the
facilities listed in Section 15. Such limit must be for the purpose of
preventing the occurrence of, or remedying, a state of affairs calling
for the service of a Notice, or a further Notice, under Section 15.
Thus, all directions given under this Section must be related directly
to the facilities available, i.e., natural and artificial lighting; ventilation;
water supply; personal washing facilities; drainage and sanitary
conveniences; facilities for the storage, preparation and cooking of
food and for the disposal of waste water; and installations for space
heating or for the use of space heating appliances.
These two controls of necessity overlap, although being completely
separate in themselves. It is necessary in any parts of a
house where full facilities are provided, that the Section 19 limit be
made to coincide with the legal maximum. This is of considerable
importance in the case of small rooms for single occupation, and for
family limits for multiple-room lettings.
The Paddington Borough Council adopted standards for Section
15 in November, 1962, and these have been used from that date in
all discussions with owners concerning conversion or improvement
of houses. Had they been used without amendment for the purpose
of calculating limits under Section 19, the effect would have been
that a very large proportion of houses would have qualified for zero
limits throughout on the grounds of the absence of food stores,
baths and/or hot water.