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90
out 579 inspections and 2,337 re-inspections. The work accomplished
under the provisions of this Act has been of a most important character.
The Water Supply of Tenement Houses.
The action taken in Hampstead during 1912 to improve the water
supply of tenement houses under the powers conferred upon London
sanitary authorities by Section 78 of the London County Council
(General Powers) Act, 1907, which empowers the sanitary authority to
require a proper and sufficient supply of water in each storey of a
tenement house that is separately occupied has resulted in the provision
of water taps and glazed earthenware sinks in 152 houses. Prior to the
passing of the London County Council (General Powers) Act of 1907
London sanitary authorities had no power to insist on the provision of
adequate water supply in tenement houses. This Act, however, has
been the means by which this great improvement has been effected.
The number of houses dealt with in Hampstead during the last four
years is as follows:—
1908 24
1909 85
1910 99
1911 105
1912 152
465
Underground Rooms.
Considerable progress has been made during the year with underground
rooms used as dwellings. It is satisfactory to report that we
are rapidly nearing the stage when every underground room in the
Borough, which is occupied as a sleeping room, will have been put into
conformity with the requirements of the Public Health (London) Act,
or the Housing, Town Planning, &c., Act, 1909. In only one case during
the year has it been necessary to make a Closing Order, and that was in
regard to a room which had been newly constructed in a large house for
the purpose of forming a bedroom for a man-servant. The attention of
the owner and his Architects was called to the requirements of the
Regulations under the Housing, Town Planning, &c., Act; but, in spite of
this, the room was allowed to be occupied and, consequently, a Closing
Order had to be made, following which the use of the room for sleeping
urposes was discontinued.