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As the result of the White Paper "Old Houses into New Homes" and because owners wished to
avail themselves of the promised increased grant, and occupiers of controlled accommodation wanted
definite information regarding rent increases, the Council at their meeting in September deferred
further action for the present in connection with these two areas.
Improvement of Dwellings not in an Improvement Area
During the year 9 dwellings were improved as the result of applications for assistance made to
the Council by the tenants. Four of these involved the conversion of the back bedroom into a
bathroom with a combined water closet. Two were improved by the conversion of the kitchen to
form a bathroom. Two more involved the improvement to the full standard of some facilities already
existing. At the final one, owing to lack of space, it was not possible to secure a bath or shower
but the existing external water closet was changed to give access from within the dwelling and hot
water was provided.
Enquiries, averaging about one a week throughout the year, continued to be received at the
Department from both owners and tenants. In April the Government issued a White Paper "Old Houses
into New Homes.". In this they declared their intention to include in early new housing legislation
provisions for bringing controlled rents within the orbit of the Rent Officer for determining a fair
rent where the dwellings were already provided with an indoor water closet, a fixed bath, a wash
hand basin, a hot and cold water system and a sink and were in good repair or would be brought into
this condition with a grant. By the end of the year the Bill had not been published but it was
expected to appear early in the New Year and to have completed its passage through Parliament by
the Autumn of 1969. The existence of this impending legislation necessarily imposed a "wait and
see" attitude on the part of both owners and tenants and made the Department's task of advising more
difficult and uncertain.
Houses in Multiple Occupation
Progress is being made and the effect of the eventual replacement of one inspector who had
resigned, together with one additional inspector appointed for this work is now beginning to show.
In addition, one technical assistant was transferred from work in connection with Smoke Control
Areas to this section in April and another towards the end of December.
Some progress is now being made and more experience gained in regard to the provision of
adequate means of escape in case of fire. Full specifications of work required in this connection
have been provided in respect of 98 premises. The number of premises which were provided with
adequate means of escape in case of fire during the year was 39, with work of this type progressing
at various other premises. However, for some inexplicable reason this has been the worst year so
far known for fires at houses in multiple occupation within the Borough. Sixteen premises in
multiple occupation suffered damage from fire in varying degrees. Two children died in one fire. It
is understood that it was not possible positively to give the cause of this fire, but it was believed to
be due to either a faulty electric wire socket or an oil heater which may have been knocked over by
children left alone in the house for a short period.
Three children also died in another house where they had been left playing in a room in which
an oil heater was overturned.
A further less usual fatality occurred when a youth re-lit an oil stove in his room after his
parents had extinguished it for the night. The heater was presumably turned down very low, or
became affected by atmospheric conditions, and the result was that the heater smoked and created a
build-up of carbon monoxide during the night whilst the boy slept. His room had the fireplace sealed
up and the windows closed, and, although the room was large and lofty, in the morning his parents
found him dead and the walls and the ceiling of the room blackened by smoke.
Although free-standing paraffin oil heaters were implicated in the majority of cases of domestic
fires within this type of premises which occurred within the Borough, it almost always appeared that
it was the mis-use or bad siting of the appliance that was the cause of the trouble, together with the
circumstances by which young children were alone in rooms in which oil heaters had been placed in
the middle of the room and could easily be knocked over.
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