View report page

authority to improve an area as a whole, the new Act bases the success of area improvement
upon the ability of local authorities to enlist the co-operation and support of the
owners of houses and of the persons in occupation, increased grant aid being made
available for the house improvement works involved.
In November the Council after considering the implications of these new provisions
decided that they should receive a report upon the action which they should take by way
of area improvement to deal with unsatisfactory housing conditions in selected areas
in the Borough. By the end of the year arrangements had been made to undertake a
survey in order to identify these areas and to consult the Ministry of Housing and Local
Government on the suitability of such areas for designation as General Improvement Areas.
Although the new legislation repealed the power to make further Improvement Areas
under the Housing Act 1964, the local authorities are nevertheless able to deal appropriately
with those areas already declared. In this respect by the end of the year virtually all
works found to be possible had been completed to the 38 houses in the Council's first
Improvement Area at Prospect Road, Childs Hill and as the re-development of the
adjoining Ridge Road Housing Area had also commenced the integration of the two areas
in order to achieve overall environmental improvement, as originally visualised, was in
sight. Improvement to the full standard had been completed at about 60% of the 91 houses
houses in the second Improvement Area at Brent Terrace, Cricklewood and Grant applications
made in respect of the remaining houses. 60 of the 136 houses in Campion,
Needham, Johnston and Midland Terraces, Cricklewood, had also been improved to the
full standard. Before designation as an Improvement Area, the owners of this estate
gave an undertaking to the Council in 1968, to carry out complete modernisation of
properties as they became vacant and to improve the remaining houses including those
where the sitting tenants were desirous of purchasing for owner/occupation. This operation
has proved to be highly successful in securing the overall improvement of what was
previously a somewhat neglected estate.
Section 19 of the Housing Act, 1964, enables the tenant of an individual dwelling to
muke representation to the Council to take action to secure the provision of satisfactory
amenities. Two such representations were received and by the 31st December no firm
undertakings were forthcoming from the owners to carry out the necessary works and
arrangements were being made for formal notices to be served. The initial approach
must come from the tenant in these cases and it is discouraging to find how little this
provision, which is not repealed by the Housing Act 1969, is used. It may well be that
the new provisions in respect of the rents of controlled tenancies will result in the
initiative for the improvement of this type of house being taken by the landlords rather
than the tenants.
Overcrowding
The following statement provides a summary of the known cases of overcrowding
existing or dealt with during the year, the standard of assessing overcrowding
being that specified by the Housing Act, 1957.
49