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In the case of dwellings not requiring re-modelling in block but individual
amendment, the lease having a greater or less number of years to run, sec. 25 of
the Artizan and Labourers Dwellings Act of 1868, allows the Local Authority to
make a charging order upon the inheritance, or fee of the premises improved by a
leaseholder upon the requirement of the Local Authority. This is really compensation
for improvement, not paid by the Vestry but by the freeholder or owner,
according to the length of time expired before the improvement falls into his
hands. Thereby your Yestry is able to act with little hardship to all concerned.
The danger of this section is that apart from the natural decay of dwellings, the
leaseholder may allow the premises purposely to fall into such a condition as to
bring them under this compensation clause.
The only means to prevent this to a great extent is for your Yestry to adopt
Bye-laws for Houses let in Lodgings, a course now pursued by nearly all the
London Vestries and District Boards.
Tentatively, only those premises the owners of which are recurringly neglectful
might be placed by your Sanitary Committee upon the Register as a precaution and
a warning, by that means many of the benefits of the Artizans Dwelling Act may
be obtained piecemeal, and extreme measures may be held in reserve for suitable
cases, or when other means are exhausted.
If only a limited number of premises were placed upon the Register for the
purpose primarily of preventing recurring nuisances with the present system of
constant bouse to house inspection, no immediate increase in the Staff of your
Sanitary Department would be necessary for that purpose. In fact if recurring
and other nuisances could be effectually kept in check by the stigma of being placed
upon the Register, the work of your Inspectors would be materially facilitated.
COMMON LODGING HOUSES.
There are 29 Common Lodging Houses in the Parish, which are in a more
sanitary condition than many of the tenements occupied by a class socially and
morally more worthy of consideration, this is due to the power of supervision under
proper regulations or bye-laws. A list of the Common Lodging Houses is
appended to the end of the Report.
CANAL BOATS.
There was one prosecution during the year, for the infringement of the Cana
Boats Regulations, viz.: against W. Studd, of Ivor, West Drayton, for non
registration as a dwelling.
CARAVANS AND TENTS.
This class of dwellings does not much effect St. Pancras, but a caravan in Whitfield
Burial Ground is at the present moment under observation.
WATER SUPPLY.
The New River Company has extended the constant supply system, as far North
as a line midway between the Hampstead Junction, and North London Railways,
and the whole of this Company's area in this Parish will be supplied on the constant
system by the Autumn of 1887.