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PUBLIC SWIMMING BATHS
There are two open air swimming baths in the borough. The water is taken
from the mains of the South Essex Waterworks company. The method of treatment is
continuous filtration and sterilisation; the period of turnover is four hours.
Bacteriological and chemical examinations of samples have indicated satisfactory
conditions.
A portable swimming pool installed at a local junior school has continued
to function satisfactorily.
HOUSING
Slum clearance
During the year two houses included in the council's programme were
voluntarily demolished by the owners with a view to redevelopment of the site;
two houses (one owned by the council) were represented with a view to closure.
Rent Act, 1957
Eleven applications were received from tenants during the year compared
with seven in the previous year. In no case did the council refuse to issue a
certificate of Disrepair. Undertakings to do the work were given by the landlord
in respect of four properties. Two certificates of Disrepair were issued
and two cancelled on the completion of the repairs.
As in past years advice was given to tenants and they were able to purchase
the necessary forms at the civic centre.
Improvement and conversion Grants
The Housing Act 1964 has extended considerably the local authority's
powers in respect of the improvement of property. Tenanted property can now be
compulsorily improved if the tenant so desires. Local authorities are required
to arrange for the inspection of their districts with a view to identifying
areas suitable for comprehensive improvement; where they declare defined areas
to be improvement areas, this has the effect of applying their powers to compel
improvements of tenanted houses in those areas. Two types of grant available
are still the 'discretionary' grant and the 'standard' grant, but the maximum of
the 'standard' grant has been increased from £155 to £350 if, say, a new bathroom
is required to be built.
This increase in the amount of the 'standard' grant and the easing, in
recent years, of the conditions attached to grants should attract many more
applicants.
Applicants are always encouraged to make preliminary enquiries before any
expense is incurred. Every effort is made to deal with the applications as
speedily as possible. During the year many enquiries were received; in some
cases the improvements desired were not eligible for grant. Eleven applications
for 'standard' grants and six for 'discretionary' grants were approved.
All but one of the applications were from owner/occupiers.
Houses in Multiple Occupation
In one case legal proceedings were authorised but the overcrowding was
abated before proceedings could be instituted; a statutory notice was,
therefore, served limiting the number of persons that may reside in the house
to '5'. In another house statutory action was delayed because of the difficulty
of establishing who was the owner.
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