View report page

26
Notifications under section 33 of the Housing Act, 1936, of intention to deal with
211 unfit houses contained in seven areas were received from four borough councils.
Surveys were made of 421 houses contained in 10 areas, apart from those
mentioned above, in connection with proposals for their acquisition by the Council,
and consultations took place between officers of the Council and of metropolitan
borough councils concerning 237 houses on which slum clearance action was contemplated
under the Housing Act, 1936.
Town and
Country
Planning Act,
1947—
Declaration
of Unfitness
Orders
The Council gave approval to the acquisition of two areas contained in that
portion of the east end of London covered by the County of London (Stepney and
Poplar) Declaratory Order, 1947.
By the terms of the 5th schedule to the Town and Country Planning Act, 1944,
as re-enacted by the 11th schedule to the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, and
the Housing (Declaration of Unfitness) Regulations, 1947, a local authority may make
a " Declaration of Unfitness Order " in respect of houses in an area, which is the
subject of a Declaratory Order, found to be unfit for human habitation and not
capable of being rendered so fit at a reasonable expense. In the two areas referred to
above, declarations were made by the Council in respect of 67 houses.
The Slun
Clearance
Survey
As a result of discussions with the metropolitan borough councils, details of the
slum clearance problems in their respective districts were submitted, including
1,160 unfit areas containing 39,027 houses. A rapid survey of these areas was made,
and the areas outstanding from the Council's 1937 slum clearance programme were
also resurveyed to ascertain their present condition.
These surveys showed that there are in the County 10,347 unfit houses which are
probably suitable for immediate clearance action ; 9,066 more are considered to
be suitable for possible action in about five years and a further 19,614 houses are
likely to become ripe for clearance in about ten years.
Before a detailed programme of slum clearance operations can be formulated,
further discussions must take place and other aspects of the problem be investigated,
but it is hoped that such a programme will be compiled during 1951.
Draft
Development
Plan—1951
The information gained in the slum clearance survey has been utilised by the
Council's Architect in the preparation of the programme maps which have to be
submitted to the Minister of Local Government and Planning to show the stages
for the fulfilment of the development plan.
Much work has been done, including the plotting of 10,347 unfit houses on maps
and the detailed survey of two areas containing 673 houses.
Modernisation
of
block dwellings
Consideration was given to means of securing the modernisation of block dwellings
in London, many of which, while structurally sound, were built many years ago and
are lacking in modern amenities. The Director of Housing reported on proposals for
a programme for modernisation of such dwellings in the Council's ownership, and
means of encouraging improvements to buildings in private ownership were discussed
with the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee. It was recommended
that when possible this should be done by assistance to owners under the
provisions of the Housing Act, 1949.
Height of
habitable
rooms
The Council's byelaws require a minimum height of 8 ft. 6 ins. in all new buildings,
except on the top floor of multi-storey dwellings which may be 8 feet. Following a
research carried out in the Applied Physiology Department of the London School
of Hygiene on the height of rooms it was decided to relax this requirement for a
trial period to permit the building of block dwellings with staircase access and
cottages, including 3-storey terrace houses, with rooms having a minimum height of
8 ft. on all floors. This concession, which is subject to review, does not apply to flats
of balcony access type below the top floor which are still subject to the minimum
requirement of 8 ft. 6 ins.