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sides of Albert Road, which is a cul-de-sac, leading to the Gas works
and bounded on the west side by the railway. The main reasons for
the representation by the Medical Officer of Health were disrepair
and dampness. The Order has not yet been confirmed by the Minister
and a public enquiry will probably be held in 1956 into this matter.
Housing Survey.
In order that a reasonable opinion of the condition of housing
in the district could be formed the Council decided that a survey of
houses should be made. Between June, 1954, and June, 1955, about
2,000 houses were inspected in order to implement this decision.
So that the necessary work could be carried out without severe
dislocation of existing duties additional staff were employed. As the
work was proceeded with the houses were divided into three main
categories (1) being those which were reasonable fit; (2) being those
which were unfit for human habitation but were capable of being
rendered fit at reasonable expense; and (3) houses unfit for habitation
which were either incapable of being rendered fit and in which the
cost of the work to render them fit was unreasonable.
It will be seen that Category (2) was by reason of its definition
of very wide application as it included houses which just did not
satisfy condition (1) or which on the other hand were not quite
so bad as to be placed in Category (3).
When the work was practically completed a report was placed
before the Council in June with sufficient information so that the
Council could consider the return required by the Minister under
Section 1 of the Housing (Rents and Repairs) Act, 1954. Of the
2,000 houses inspected it was found that 415 were graded as unfit
for human habitation and incapable of being rendered fit at a
reasonable expense. Of these 132 were houses which could be dealt
with under Section 11 of the Housing Act, 1936, and the remainder
were included in Clearance Areas. In the report 21 Clearance Areas
were suggested ranging in size from 5 to 25 houses with one exception
which contains 58 houses.
The Council's return to the Minister gave a period of 11 years to
deal with the total problem and 170 houses in Clearance Areas and
20 houses under Section 11 of the Housing Act, 1936, to be dealt
with in the first five years. A start on this programme was made
when the Council declared Albert Road a Clearance Area and the
work of detailed inspection and survey is in progress for another
area. It is proposed to place before the Council in the near future
a suggested programme of Clearance Areas to cover the next five
years in accordance with the return to the Minister.
FOOD HYGIENE
The inspection of food premises has continued during the year,
2,158 inspections having been made. This number is slightly higher
than last year. The general standard throughout the district has
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