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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
1,600 houses which, although built for one family and which, if
occupied by one family, would be quite satisfactory, are unsatisfactory
when occupied by two families, owing to the absence or
inadequate provision of sinks, larders and means of cooking and
domestic washing.
(b) General character of the defects found to exist in unfit
houses.—Damp conditions due to defective roofs, guttering, and
absence of damp proof courses. Defective flooring, dry rot, absence
of sinks and coppers for domestic washing, absence of larders,
defective windows, frames and sills, defective internal walls
and ceilings due to age, and defective lighting and ventilation of
staircases.
There were few cases where the drains were defective, and
only minor defects in water closets were found.
(c) How far defects are due to the lack of proper management
and supervision by owners.—As a general rule properties in
this Borough are well managed or supervised by the owners or
agents. There are a few properties, however, which from various
reasons have not been properly supervised, but when the
attention of the owners was called to the matter by the service of
notice the work to remedy the nuisance was as a rule put in hand
in a reasonable time, considering the high cost of labour and
materials. The defects generally found were due to fair wear
and tear, but in some exceptional cases the tenants were responsible
for some of the nuisances discovered, and in these cases
notice was served upon the tenant.
During the year 23,880 houses were inspected and 9,121
notices were served, 7,997 of which were complied with.
(2) Action taken as regards unfit houses under (a) the Public
Health Acts, (b) the Housing Acts.
(a) Notices served under Section 2, and if these were not
complied with in a reasonable time, statutory notices were served.
(b) Five closing orders were made during the year for five
vans in Wardley Street. Notices were served under Section 28
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