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15
Housing Acts, 1949-58.
Loans.—The Council have continued to use their powers during the year by agreeing to make
loans to approved applicants. Two loans have been granted, totalling £4,345 to enable the applicants
to purchase a house each for their own occupation.
Improvement Grants.—The Council have also offered grants to private owners for the conversion
and improvement of existing houses and grants totalling £1,203 were made (i) to the St. Marylebone
Housing Association in respect of three properties to enable them to improve the premises by
providing additional amenities and (ii) to an approved applicant for the conversion of a property
into two maisonettes.
Dwelling-Houses.
Statistics regarding the inspection of dwelling-houses under the Public Health or Housing Acts,
defects remedied and action taken under statutory powers are contained in Table 4, page 30.
Certificates of Disrepair.
Applications for the issue or cancellation of certificates under the provisions of the Rent Act, 1957,
were dealt with by the Town Clerk and referred to the Medical Officer of Health for investigation.
A public health inspector visited each of the premises concerned and on his report the Medical Officer
of Health was able to recommend appropriate action. Statistics relating to these matters are shown
in Table 6, page 30.
Rehousing—Medical Certificates—Closing Orders.
The Medical Officer of Health receives requests from the Borough Council's Housing Director for
reports and advice on the housing conditions and the health of persons applying for rehousing. One
hundred and eighteen confidential medical certificates referred to the Medical Officer of Health were
considered in conjunction with reports from the public health inspectors on environmental circumstances
and, where justified, additional points were recommended.
Closing orders were made on 30 rooms and where the occupiers could not be given alternative
accommodation immediately they received additional points increasing their degree of priority for
rehousing. Until they can be provided with other accommodation the operation of the closing orders
remains in abeyance.
Land Charges Act, 1925.
The Town Clerk referred 1,520 enquiries to the Department requiring details of any outstanding
notices, orders or other restrictions on the properties concerned. This was an increase of more than
200 on the previous year's figure.
Immigrants.
The south-east portion of the Borough is contiguous with Soho and, as might be expected, contains
a cosmopolitan population. Immigrants from Cyprus and European countries predominate. So far,
unlike neighbouring boroughs, St. Marylebone has had comparatively little influx of people from
the West Indies.
Common Lodging Houses.
There are two common lodging houses in the Borough. One is run by the Salvation Army, at No.
2, Burne Street and premises in Lisson Street, to accommodate 391 men. The other, conducted by
the Church Army at Portman House, No. 10, Daventry Street, is registered for 85 women.
At the quarterly fire inspections it was found that the fire-fighting equipment provided and the
precautions taken were satisfactory in both lodging houses.
SECTION E.—INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD
Food and Drugs Analysis.
The Public Analyst (Mr. Thomas McLachlan, D.C.M., A.C.G.F.C., F.R.I.C., M.I.Biol.) has
submitted the following report on the year's work:—
"During the year 1958, 378 samples of food and drugs were examined. Of these 23 were taken
formally and 355 informally.