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(3) Number of houses concerning which action
has been taken by the Local Authority under
Section 16, and with respect to which Owners
have given an undertaking that they will
not be used for human habitation 1
D - Proceedings under Sections 17 18 and 27 of
the Housing Act, 1957
(1) Number of separate tenements or underground
rooms in respect of which Closing Orders
were made 2
(2) Number of separate tenements or underground
rooms in respect of which Closing Orders
were determinedthe tenement or room having
been rendered fit 4
THE CARAVAN SITES AND CONTROL OF DEVELOPMENT ACT, 1960
One application for permission to retain a caravan at
the rear of club premises was refused during the year and
steps taken to secure its removal. In one other case a
site licence in respect of the use of a caravan in the
rear garden of a private house was issued for a period of
one year. Town Planning permission in this case had been
given by the Minister of Housing and Local Government
following an appeal.
The main problem concerning caravans remained in
dealing with the itinerant or gipsy type caravan dwellers
who encamp on any available vacant plot of land, on road
verges and service roads and other available sites. The
problem is not a new one but it has intensified as Northolt
and adjoining areas have become built up and the number
of sites available to the caravan dwellers has become
more and more restricted. Many of the families of caravan
dwellers have been in the neighbourhood for several
generations, their names having been repeated many times
over the years on notices served by Inspectors. During
the last few years they have been harassed by the Warden
employed by the Council to keep them away from Council
owned land and whenever possible Abatement Notices under
Section 93 of the Public Health Act, 1936 have been
served on the occupiers of the caravans. During 1961, 45
such notices were served, but it was only possible in one
case to obtain a hearing for a successfully served summons.
This procedure is slow and difficult owing to the time
lags which inevitably occur between service of notice,
service of summons and date of hearing. Pines and costs,
when imposed are light and are no real deterrent to the
offenders, but are merely regarded as part of the natural
hazards of this way of life. In the early part of the
year, in addition to the regular families, there was an