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QUALIFICATION CERTIFICATES
Provision is made in the Housing Act 1969 for an owner to apply to the Council for a
Qualification Certificate where a dwelling was provided with all the standard amenities, was in
good repair and in all other respects fit for human habitation. It further provides for a Provisional
Certificate to be issued where proposals are made and submitted to the Council for bringing a
property up to the required standard.
Where a certificate is issued to the owner he can present this to the Rent Officer who fixes a
fair rent. All applications are made to the Town Clerk's Department and all inspections and technical
work are carried out by the Public Health Inspectorate.
Qualification Certificates issued 182
Applications cancelled or Qualification Certificates
refused or not entertained 241
Qualification Certificates held in abeyance
following letters and negotiations to the owners
requiring repair works, etc. 161
TOTAL APPLICATIONS RECEIVED 584
Applications for Certificates of Provisional
Approval granted 72
Applications refused or cancelled 13
TOTAL APPLICATIONS RECEIVED 85
Work in this aspect of housing occupied a large amount of the Public Health Inspectors'
time; some 2,000 visits and inspections were made. Likewise a considerable amount of office work
was involved. Although this meant that certain aspects of housing, e.g. general improvement areas,
were not pursued, it was felt that the time given to Qualification Certificates was well'spent as,
overall, a considerable amount of repair work was carried out in many cases on properties which
had not received maintenance over the course of many years. The procedure by which applications
were held in abeyance in order to allow owners to carry out required repairs was usefully adopted
and Qualification Certificates were subsequently issued on many of the premises involved.
CARAVANS AND CARAVAN SITES
In most cases caravans used as dwellings require, in addition to Town Planning approval, a
licence issued by the local authority under the Carravan Sites and Control of Development Act
1960. Only five site licences are in operation involving a total of ten caravans. In four cases a single
caravan only is involved. Generally these sites are maintained in a satisfactory condition.
A number of caravans remain stationed near Crittals Corner on the grass verge of the A.20
trunk road which forms the Southern boundary of the Borough. The caravans have been there
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