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GENERAL PUBLIC HEALTH
Housing
during the year 14,544 houses and flats were erected by the Council and the
Metropolitan Borough Councils. Of these 11,567 were in London (5,171 erected by the
Council and 6,396 by the Borough Councils) and the remainder (2,977) were erected
by the Council outside the County.
At the end of the year the total number of permanent dwellings erected or acquired
by the Council for housing purposes was 165,106 (an increase in the year of 8,148) of
which 80,047 were situated in London and 85,059 outside the County. In addition there
were 7,812 temporary prefabricated bungalows erected by the Ministry of Works
but managed by the Council.
The number of applications registered on the Council's waiting list at the end of the
year was 164,559 compared with 170,225 in 1953. New applications registered during
the year totalled 27,588. The housing waiting list is divided into three categories in
accordance with urgency on the basis of the total number of points awarded under the
Council's points scheme (a) urgent cases, (b) cases with some housing need, but not of
an urgent character, (c) no basic housing need.
During the year 32,732 (580 fewer than in 1953) requests for preference in rehousing
on health grounds were considered and suitable recommendations made to the Director
of Housing. This figure included a number of applications which had been considered
in previous years but were reviewed in the light of changed medical or domestic
conditions. The continuing large number of applications on health grounds is no doubt
largely attributable to the natural anxiety of applicants to put forward any claims
which might possibly lead to prospects of early rehousing. Inevitably many have to be
disappointed, but all applications are carefully considered and many enquiries made
to enable fair decisions to be reached. Once again the great assistance given by the
Medical Officers of Health of Metropolitan Boroughs and of out-County authorities,
by hospitals and by family doctors in providing reports is gratefully acknowledged.
Of the applications considered 4 per cent. were recommended for special preference
because rehousing was urgently necessary to reduce the danger of infection arising from
active pulmonary tuberculosis, 14 per cent. were classified as 'most urgent' and 35 per
cent. as less urgent, but justifying preference on health grounds. After careful consideration
it was decided that the degree of medical urgency disclosed by doctors' certificates
did not warrant additional preference for the remaining 47 per cent.
Preferential
rehousing
During the year the survey of areas included in the five-year programme of slum
clearance was continued and 37 areas containing 1,953 houses were represented to the
Housing Committee under section 25 of the Housing Act, 1936. In addition, preliminary
surveys of a further 32 areas containing 1,776 houses were completed.
Slum
clearance
The Minister of Housing and Local Government arranged 23 public local inquiries
into Orders made by the Council and by the end of the year ten of the Orders had
been confirmed ; the results of the remaining 13 inquiries were awaited. One Order
was confirmed without the holding of a local inquiry.
The Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954, repealed, as from 31st August, 1954,
section 33 of the Housing Act, 1936 under which the Metropolitan Borough Councils
had to notify the Council of their intention to deal with an area by way of slum
clearance. During the first eight months of the year notifications were received from
ten boroughs of 17 areas containing 306 houses.
Surveys were made in respect of 47 applications to the Council for improvement
grants under section 20 of the Housing Act, 1949 (as amended by the Housing Repairs
and Rents Act, 1954). In addition 122 investigations were made in connection with
applications for such grants made to Metropolitan Borough Councils.
Improvement
grants
During the year 1,446 searches were made in connection with enquiries concerning
premises scheduled as dangerous structures.
Dangerous
structures
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