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the whole cost where the applicant has only limited means. 18.2% of applicants were
allowed increased grants during the year and it is thus reassuring to know that no one
suffers hardship through meeting their community obligations. Many old people,
beginning to find the physical effort of handling coal and ashes a little too much for
them find the gas fire a blessing — perhaps an unexpected incidental welfare benefit
within the Clean Air Act!
A number of applications were received under Section 6 of the 1968 Act for the
determination of chimney height. It is encouraging to note an increase in willingness
on the part of the architects, engineers, combustion consultants and others to accept
the need for adequate chimney height. This I am sure, is based on an increasing
awareness generally of the dangers resulting from ever more intensive development.
Measurement of smoke and sulphur dioxide every day of the year continued at the
Council's five measuring stations and the data supplied to the Ministry of Technology
for use in the National Survey.
HOUSING
Provision of Housing Accommodation
During the year the number of purpose-built housing units provided by construction
was 432. This allowed for an appropriate "mix" of accommodation dictated by the
current need for various sizes of housing unit and the locality in which the building
was taking place. No units of housing accommodation were acquired from private
owners, the Council having earlier discontinued its previous policy in this connection
for financial reasons. Towards the end of the year it was, however, agreed that
suitable properties should, as they became available, be purchased for special needs,
i.e. conversion for the use of elderly persons; adaptation for homeless families.
A total of 832 families had been rehoused by the 31st December of which 88
families were decanted from Housing Areas scheduled for re-development in the
Council's current programme.
Pressure continued to remain high on the type of accommodation suitable for
elderly persons often unable to climb stairs or similarly restricted and, wherever
necessary, the Borough Housing Officer seeks my views on the medical aspects of
such cases.
Despite the progress made in all aspects of rehousing, the number of persons
applying to the Council for accommodation continued to increase, it being noteworthy
that a high proportion of these were young married couples unable to find accommodation
in the borough within the private sector and suitable to their means. At the
end of the year a total of 6099 applications were registered.
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