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9
The difficult times immediately following the war induced the
Ministry of Health to restrict Building Licences to absolutely urgent
repairs and consequent deletion of items from Statutory Notices in order
that the arbitrary quota fixed by the Ministy of Health should not be
exceeded, had the effect of lowering the standard of repair of dwelling
houses generally, to an extent which is now being realised by Local
Authorities throughout London. The consequence of this and of the
difficulties that owners and agents have in finding the necessary money
for the repair of neglected dwellings, together with rising cost of repairs,
is throwing, and will continue to throw, an increasing amount of repair
work upon the Local Authority. The lack of maintenance over many
areas during the war and post-war years is now beginning to show its full
effect.
The action taken by the Council under the Housing Act, 1936, and
Public Health Act, 1936, described in the report, shows conclusively that
the Council is exercising its powers in this respect to the fullest extent,
and is carrying out an increasing amount of work as a consequence of the
inability of owners to carry out repairs.
The outbreak of war stopped slum clearance and the instructions of
the Ministry of Health were that all activities of the Local Authority
should stop short of demolition of houses. Slum clearance, is, however,
beginning again throughout the County of London, according to a plan
agreed by the Minister of Health, the London County Council, the Metropolitan
Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee and the London Boroughs.
The amount of clearance so far approved, except for a few London
Boroughs where large clearance schemes were envisaged prior to the war,
is, in view of the difficulty of rehousing, restricted to dwellings urgently
requiring demolition.
In accordance with this scheme, I represented two areas of five houses
each and the London County Council agreed to rehouse the tenants. The
Clearance Order of the Borough Council as regards Slindon Court has
been confirmed by the Ministry of Health, and a Public Inquiry has been
held concerning the Clearance Order of the Borough Council in respect
of five houses in Church Walk. The decision of the Ministry with regard
to the Church Walk clearance area has not yet been received. The
approved programme covers a five-year period.
Considerable discussion has taken place on the Public Health Committee
and in the Council Chamber with regard to the formation of a
Clean Food Guild. A Clean Food Guild is of course a Guild of Traders
and a number of meetings of traders have been convened and an Advisory
Committee of traders was set up which, however, adjourned having
unanimously adopted the following resolution:—
"The Advisory Committee have considered all aspects
of a Clean Food Guild and feel it is inopportune to proceed
with the matter."