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purposes other than those of a sleeping place; and that if the occupier of the
room after notice of an order has been served upon him. fails to comply with
the order, an order to comply with it may, on summary conviction, be made
against him.
Order for demolition.
Section 18, which supersedes.Section 33 of the principal Act, deals with the
demolition of dwelling-houses which have been closed by closing orders.
Under Sub section (1) proceedings with a view to an order for the demolition
of a dwelling-house cannot be initiated untd a closing order has been operative
for three months, and wnen that period has elapsed the local authority must,
before making a demolition order, give the owner an opportunity of being
heard on the matter at a meeting of which he has had at least one month's
notice. Sub-section (2) indicates the circumstances in which a demolition
order must be made, and this must now be done if the local authority are of
opinion that the dwelling-house has not been rendered fit for human habitation,
and that the necessary steps are not being taken with all due diligence to
render it so fit, or that the continuance of any building which is, or is part of,
the house is a nuisance, or is dangerous or injurious to the health of the public
or of the inhabitants of the neighbouring dwelling-houses. Where, however,
the case is one in which the local authority consider that the dwelling-house
can be made fit for human habitation, they can, under Sub-section (3), give the
owner an opportunity to render it so fit. if he undertakes to execute the
necessary work, by postponing the operation of the order for a period not
exceeding six months. No enlargement of the time allowed for the execution
of works or the demolition of a building can now be granted by a Court of
Summary Jurisdiction (Section 21). Sub-section (4) gives to the owner of a
building in regard to which a demolition order has been made a right of appeal
to the Board.
Mode in which contributions by London Borough Councils to the County Council,
or rice versa, may be made.
Under Section 46 of the principal Act, as amended by Section 14 of the
Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1903, certain payments or contributionsmay
be made or ordered to be made by a Metropolitan Borough Council
towards the expenses of the London County Council, under Part II. of the
principal Act or by the London County Council, towards the expenses of a
Metropolitan Borough Council under that Part. Section 33 of the new Act
makes it clear that any such payment or contribution may be made either by
means of the payment of a lump sum or by means of an annual payment of
such amount and for such number of years as may be agreed upon or ordered.
Prohibition of back-to-back houses.
Section 43 prohibits for the future the erection of any back-to-back houses
intended to be used as working class dwellings, and declares that any such
house commenced to be erected after the 3rd December, 1909, is to be deemed
to be unfit for human habitation for the purposes of the Housing Acts. The
Section is to take effect notwithstanding anything in any local Act or by-law
in force in any borough or district, but it contains a saving in respect of:—