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(4) Proceedings under section 12 of the Housing Act, 1936 :
(a) Number of separate tenements or underground
rooms in respect of which Closing Orders
were made Nil
(b) Number of separate tenements or underground
rooms in respect of which Closing Orders were
determined, the tenement or room having
been rendered fit Nil
4. Housing Act, 1936, Part IV—Overcrowding:—
(a) (1) Number of dwelling houses overcrowded at end of year 16
(2) Number of families dwelling therein 18
(3) Number of persons dwelling therein 94
(b) Number of new cases of overcrowding reported during the year 13
(c) (1) Number of cases of overcrowding relieved during the year 8
(2) Number of persons concerned in such cases 30
(d) Particulars of any cases in which dwelling houses have again
become overcrowded after the Local Authority has taken
steps for the abatement of overcrowding Nil
Number of New Houses Erected during the Year:—
By the Local Authority 66
By other persons 165
The number of houses inspected for defects was 244 less than in
1946, although the number of inspections made for the purpose was only
214 less. This decrease was largely due to the depleted number of Sanitary
Inspectors on the staff of the Council, preceding and following the
sudden death of the Chief Sanitary Inspector at the end of March.
Lack of building materials and shortage of labour again restricted
this side of their work, which had to be confined to those defects of a
more urgent nature. An increasing reliance has been placed on them
by the public in order to distinguish between building works considered
essential for the maintenance of public health and other less urgent
works. Close co-operation with the Council's Licensing Department has
been maintained thereon.
The number of cases of statutory overcrowding increased from 11
to 16 during the year, although 8 were relieved.
The Council continued to provide new housing and housing units
as rapidly as circumstances permitted, and altogether 231 new houses
and 55 other new housing units resulted.
A scheme for reconditioning three cottages which were in need of
extensive repair, the conversion of pail closets and the proper disposal
of waste water, was presented by the Department, approved by the
Council and subsequently confirmed by the Ministry of Health.
The houses could not be repaired at '' reasonable cost,'' but in view
of the present-day shortage of houses and the costs incurred in rehousing
persons displaced from houses considered as unfit, the Council agreed
to purchase the houses by agreement at site value and carry out the
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