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It is not the practice to serve Statutory Notices until it is plain that
the informal notification of the existence of nuisances, given by the
intimation notice (which is not a legal requirement), has failed to
bring about the remedy required by the responsible person. The
figures already quoted, therefore, indicate that informal approach
was, in the majority of cases, completely successful. This pointer
to the worthiness of the vast majority of property owners is pleasing
to record, yet serves to focus attention upon those few who either
deliberately evade their responsibilities, using cleverly every loophole
the slow-moving machinery of the law provides, to the detriment
of their tenants, or who fail to realise that the ownership of
property must carry with it certain liabilities, for which they omit
to cater in assessing the value of their investment; nor would it be
correct in discussing the calculating or irresponsible property owner
to leave out reference to the bad tenants who allow their dwellings
to become places of squalor, where the structural and decorative
deterioration is often a matter of wilful neglect. The "owner,"
in such cases, deserves the greatest support from the public health
official, as do the neighbouring families who are forced to share the
distressing conditions produced by those who fail in their duties as
members of a community. Fortunately, such instances are rare in
Beckenham, but they do exist.
Perhaps the greatest difficulty of all in the year under review
has been the scarcity of building materials for use in existing
properties. Whilst one must keep in mind that authoritative action,
which has restricted their use, has been introduced with the National
problem in view, the advisability of maintaining in habitable condition
the houses we have must be emphasised.
The issuing of notices to act as "permits" for this or that article
of building maintenance repair has increased greatly the administrative
work of the Department.
HOUSING—INSPECTION OF DWELLING HOUSES DURING
THE YEAR.
Total number of dwelling-houses inspected for housing
defects (under Public Health or Housing Acts) 1,181
Number of inspections made for the purpose 3,521
Number of dwelling-houses (included under sub-head (1)
above) which were inspected and recorded under the
Housing Consolidated Regulations, 1925 25
Number of inspections made for the purpose 117
Number of dwelling-houses found to be in a state so
dangerous or injurious to health as to be unfit for human
habitation 0
Number of dwelling-houses (exclusive of those referred to
under the preceding sub-head) found not be in all respects
reasonably fit for human habitation 910
Number of dwelling houses in respect of which Informal
Notices were served 910
Number of dwelling houses in which defects were remedied
after service of Informal Notices 747
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