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Examples of such premises are places of public amusement or resort, such as billiard halls and
saloons, cinemas, music halls and theatres, dancing halls, licensed premises, clubs, premises for
other recreations, etc., and such premises as will generally be found not to create much employment
or to enhance public revenue. It may be necessary at an early stage to delay or prohibit the construction
of buildings of this kind.
(ii.) Works of Intermediate Category.—In an intermediate class may be placed buildings
where the work is of the nature of speculation or of development which is not immediately necessary
and these may include speculative, office or other buildings, multiple shops, large stores and warehouses
for retail trade, and perhaps in some cases factories and mills. Such buildings as churches,
chapels or places of public assembly may also be placed in this category.
(iii.) Works of High Category.—Comprising mainly industrial buildings in private ownership
which cannot be prohibited without most serious consideration. These works are such as will
result in increased employment, enhanced local revenue, enhanced national revenue (by way of
export trade or otherwise), or some other result of public importance at the present time.
Moreover (Section 6) the demolition wholly or in part, or change of use of any dwelling-house which
after the 3rd December, 1919, was, in the opinion of the local authority, reasonably fit, or reasonably
capable without re-construction of being rendered fit for human habitation, is prohibited, unless the
sanction of the Council has first been obtained in writing. An offence against this Section renders the
offender liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding
three months, or both, and if the offence is committed by a Company every director and officer of the
Company is guilty of the offence unless he proves that it took place without his consent or connivance.
An appeal under this Section as to the fitness of a house for human habitation without re-construction
lies to the Minister of Health.
From the date on which the Act came into operation until 31st March, 1920,177 applications under
Section 6 (Prohibition of demolition or change of use of dwelling houses) have been received. Of these
106 were found not to be affected by the Section, the properties being either unsuitable without re-construction
for being rendered fit for human habitation, or, being in use on the 3rd December otherwise
than as a dwelling house.
In 46 cases permission to demolish or to use the premises for purposes other than as dwellings was
refused. These refusals affected the erection of at least eight cinemas and the extension of two others.
In 22 cases demolition or change of use was authorised, the premises concerned being a residential
social club, nursing homes, and buildings affected by "Dangerous Structure " notices.
In order to give publicity to the provisions of the Act posters were issued by the Council.
The action taken by the metropolitan borough councils under the provisions of section 17 of the
Housing and Town Planning Act with regard to the making of representations and closing orders is shown
in the following table—the figures for the years 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918 being included for comparison.
It will be noticed that owing largely to conditions brought about by the war, these provisions
have not been utilised to any great extent during recent years.
No. of representations. No. of closing orders.No. of houses demolished.
Metropolitan borough
1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
Battersea 185 — — — — 1 38 — — — — — — — — — — —
Bermondsey — — — — — 13 — — — — — 46 36 — — — — —
Bethnal Green 31 3 31 — — — 25 3 16 — — — — 2 — — — —
Camberwell — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Deptford 5 5 2 — — 1 5 5 2 — — — 6 2 — — — —
Finsbury — 2 — 15 — — — 2 — 15 — — — — — — — —
Fulham — 1 — — — — — 1 — — — — — — — — — —
Greenwich 193 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Hackney — 29 — — — — — 29 — — 5 — — — — — — —
Hammersmith 37 26 — — — — 6 26 12 — — — — 3 22 — — —
Hampstead 9 3 4 — 4 6 9 3 4 — 4 6 5 — — — — —
Holborn 2 3 — — — 1 2 1 — — — 1 — — — — — —
Islington 21 8 — — — 2 1 8 — — — — 6 1 — — — —
Kensington 13 9 — — — — 3 9 — — — — — — — — — —
Lambeth 7 — — — — 38 7 — — — — — 7 — — — — —
Lewisham — 6 — 3 — — 3 12 4 3 — — 6 — — — 3 —
Paddington 5 1 1 — 3 12 5 1 — — 3 6 — — — — — —
Poplar 10 17 5 7 — 10 10 17 5 7 — 4 2 — — — 1 —
St. Marylebone 1 3 — — 13 4 — 2 — — '3 4 6 — — — — 3
St. Pancras 37 18 15 2 2 16 — 29 9 4 2 12 — — — — — —
Shoreditch — 3 — — — 6 — 3 — — — — — — 7 — — —
Southwark — — — — — 4 — — — — — — — — 32 — — —
Stepney 6 23 — — — 4 6 23 34 2 — — — — — 2 — 4
Wandsworth — — — — — 1 — — — — — — — — 6 — — 1
Westminster, City of — 2 4 — 1 — — 4 1 — 1 — 11 8 31 — — —
Woolwich 18 11 6 4 12 7 9 9 4 4 12 3 7 — 4 1 — —