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families, but it does place further off the day when the properties,
with deterioration unchecked, would only be suitable for demolition,
with a consequent increase of families without proper accommodation.
It appears, however, that this view is not held, or at any rate not
acted upon, by the higher administrative powers, for our ability to
obtain licences and materials is restricted with increasing severity,
and we are advised that we should only pay attention to those items
of disrepair and dilapidation, the existence of which make a property
quite uninhabitable ; in other words, to keep the property a fraction
away from the state in which it would only be fit for demolition.
This suggested interpretation of the Public Health Acts is completely
at variance with that intended by our legislators, and accordingly, in
the absence of a definite written instruction, or amendment of existing
legislation, it is, presumably, still a Local Authotity's duty properly
to implement the Health Statutes ; and, after giving due consideration
to the obstructions occasioned by the restrictions referred to, we may
say we have succeeded remarkably well in that duty.
Work in connection with keeping house property free from conditions
prejudicial to health or a nuisance, usually takes the Sanitary
Inspector to those properties which are not owner-occupied. This
position, too, has been considerably altered during 1947 by a Ministry
of Health Circular controlling the issue of Civil Building Licences.
Briefly, the issue of licences which cover work requiring the employment
of plasterers and bricklayers is restricted to those cases where a
Statutory Notice under the ' nuisance sections ' of the Public Health
Acts could be served. The issue of such Statutory Notices is authorised
by a Local Authority, following the recommendation either of
its Medical Officer of Health or its Sanitary Inspector. Accordingly,
the Circular meant that many Licences had to receive the approval of
the Sanitary Inspector before issue was possible. In Beckenham.
with its large proportion of owner-occupied properties, so many of
which were severely damaged by enemy action, the Sanitary Inspector
was called in to inspect and give authoritative opinion on quite a
different class of property from that usually falling within his purview,
and on nuisances, arising not from neglect or deterioration, but from
war damage. Over five hundred such cases were dealt with during
the year. It has been interesting and useful work, if only because
it has enabled licences to be issued in some order of priority of need.
The work had, too, many disturbing features, for we frequently could
not reach agreement with a householder on an opinion as to the
need for repair, and many licences sought were refused.
Taking our inspections generally the greatest difficulty has been
to separate the structural defects into categories
(a) Due to dilapidation and
(b) Due to war damage.
This has applied, of course, more to the older, poorer, and ill-maintained
properties, which number approximately, 2,500. It is from
such properties that complaints normally rise, and there has been a
great increase in the number received. The majority of these properties
are rented and Notices calling for the remedy of structural defect
must be served upon the Owners. This usually brought from the