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75
Closing and Demolition Orders.— Under the existing law, recourse
must be had to a Court of Summary Jurisdiction, and there is an
appeal to Quarter Sessions; under the new Act the local authority
may themselves make the Order, and the appeal lies to the Local
Government Board within fourteen days after the notice has been
-served on the owner.
The new Act does not in any way prescribe the procedure to be
adopted by the Council before making a Closing Order, but the Board
recommend that in each case due notice should be given to all persons
interested in the house, and afford them an opportunity of being heard
on the subject. Tenants may be awarded a reasonable allowance on
account of removal expenses.
Underground Rooms.—Under the Public Health (London) Act,
Section 96, an underground room may not be used as a dwelling unless
it complies with certain requirements, but if used in conjunction with
another room in the same house which is not underground, it escapes
from the control of the Section. Section 17 of this Act prohibits any
underground room being used habitually as a sleeping place, unless it is
seven feet high or complies with regulations which may be made by
each local authority; it apparently includes basement rooms used by
servants in good class houses as well as the kitchens of tenement
dwellings. This particular part of the Act does not come into force
until the 1st July, 1910.
House Records.—Section 17 further states that the Local Government
Board may make regulations and prescribe the records which have to be
kept relating to the dwelling-houses in each district, and the Board
attach much importance to this provision. The regulations have not
yet been issued, but probably it is intended that complete records
-of the sanitary and health conditions of each house should be kept, so
as to form a continuous history, as has been done in Paris since 1894.
The system adopted there was described by me in reports in 1898 and
1900, and so far as clerical assistance would permit some attempt has
been made on the same lines in Westminster.
By-laws with respect to Tenement Houses.—Section 16 imposes on the
owner, as defined by the Public Health (London) Act, the duty of complying
with the By-laws made by the Council under Section 94 of the
Public Health Act, where work is involved, and the Council may execute
the work and recover the cost if the owner fails to do it after having
had at least three weeks notice. Apparently the existing by-laws may
have to be amended.
Back-to-bach Houses.— Section 43 prohibits for the future the erection
of any back-to-back dwellings intended to be used as working class