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Now that clearance under Part III of the Act is reaching the end of its appropriateness, we are confronted with
many areas of unfit and/or sub-standard older-type houses, both within and without the Inspection Area
Programme, and totalling into the thousands of properties. These require attention. The Housing Act 1969 makes
possible the declaration and treatment of General Improvement Areas. Several such Areas have been formed within
the Borough, all, however, in areas of good substantial properties where unfitness under Section 4 is the exception
rather than the rule. The repair and modernisation of these houses will substantially improve the general housing
stock within the Borough as will the favourable consideration of random Improvement Grant applications. There
remains the "twilight" band.
Clearance of houses under Part III of the Act of 1957 being near the end of its course the formidable exercise
of dealing with the many remaining houses which are old and unfit or sub-standard becomes increasingly a
confrontation requiring urgent solution. Alternatives of a positive nature, and on the same scale, are rehabilitation
or urban renewal. Whereas until the present, the alternative methods have been Part III clearance or rehabilitation,
the time is approaching when satisfactory housing standards will be achieved by a choice between Part V clearance
and the highest quality of rehabilitation.
Under-noted are houses or parts of houses upon which demolition orders or closing orders were made. These
dwellings were unfit for human habitation and could not be made fit at reasonable cost.
5 Cavendish Road, N.4
28 Woodstock Road, N.4
26 Elizabeth Road, N.15
2 Chapel Place, N.17
2 Kemble Road, N.17
597 Seven Sisters Road, N.15
9 Tancred Road, N.4
22 Avenue Road, N.6
56 Woodstock Road, N.4
205 Ferme Park Road, N.4
Closing Orders on the following were determined during the year, extensive works of repair having been
satisfactorily carried out.
48 Endymion Road, N.4
81 West Green Road, N.15
24 Truro Road, N.22
4 Northwood Road, N.6
667 Seven Sisters Road, N.15
An Order revoking a closing-order and substituting a demolition order was made on the under-noted property.
87 St. James Lane, N.10
General Improvement Areas
During the year a further two areas containing 2,997 dwellings were surveyed and declared General Improvement
Areas in 1971 these areas were respectively Noel Park, N.22 (2,733 dwellings) and Clarendon Road, N.15 (264
dwellings).
Owing to a continuing shortage of public health inspectors and technical assistants the Council decided for the
first of these areas to employ the services of local estate agents and surveyors. The Council were influenced in
making this decision by the fact that in this area there was a 10 year programme to improve a substantial number
of properties which the Council acquired from the Artizan and General Properties Co. Limited in 1966. Further,
there was already an active residents association, and advantage could be taken of this to enable the Planning
Department to formulate environmental improvements in the area. The use of private surveyors was not an
unqualified success on three accounts: the surveyors were not experienced in this specialised field; the public
relations aspect of the exercise as between the Council and the local residents was necessarily completely missed;
and the organisation and supervision of the exercise by the Council's officers reduced the saving of the Council's
officers' time.
The total number of areas now declared by the Council stands at four as follows: —
Durban Road 115 dwellings, declared July 1970
Clonmell Road 289 dwellings, declared November 1970
Noel Park 2,733 dwellings, declared March 1971
Clarendon Road 264 dwellings, declared July 1971
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