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Regular samples have been taken during the year and apart from some slight
occasional trouble at the small school pools, which has soon been corrected, all
results were satisfactory.
HOUSING
Slum Clearance
During the year the major work was again carried out in the Gascoigne Area
and it is interesting to watch the face of the district gradually changing. A
Public Inquiry concerning a further section comprising 71 properties in the
Gascoigne scheme was held.
Eight of the ten objections received related to shop-dwellings. Although
these premises had been used for business purposes for many years the Minister
considered they had retained their identity as dwelling houses, and whilst he
agreed they were unfit for human habitation, in view of the substantial
businesses that had been established he would not agree to their demolition and
suggested that Closing Orders be made on the living accommodations which could
ultimately be used for storage purposes. This action was carried out.
Rent Act. 1957
25 applications were received from tenants during the year. In no case did
the Council refuse to issue a Certificate of Disrepair. Undertakings to do the
work were given by the landlords in respect of 13 properties. Six Certificates
of Disrepair were issued and four cancelled on the completion of the repairs.
As in past years, advice was given to tenants and they were able to obtain
the necessary forms at the Civic Centre.
Improvement and Conversion Grants
During the year, 9 discretionary grants and 78 standard grants were
approved.
The co-operation which we have always enjoyed with the other members of the
Council's staff in the discharge of the provisions relating to grants has continued,
and now that there are numerous actual examples of what can be done and
the help that can be obtained, the whole scheme is rapidly expanding; in fact,
the difficulty is to find firms who are willing and able to undertake the work
and so, of course, the general trend is for prices to rise.
The whole question of cost is often the deciding factor, both for tenants
and owners, and the higher the cost the less likelihood of improvements being
carried out.
My doubts regarding the value of improvement areas have, apparently, been
well founded. These no longer appear to be held in the high regard they were.
There is no doubt in my mind that our own "postal survey" method has all the
advantages without any of the disadvantages of an ordinary improvement area.
Houses in Multiple Occupation
95 visits were paid to these properties during the year. It is at tines
such as these that one is glad there are very few properties in this borough
that lend themselves to this form of occupation, hence the comparative smallnesa
of our problem.
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