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interests of public health the " green belt " is regarded as an area in
which housing development need not be anticipated. It seems to me
that once a slight encroachment has taken place in a matter of this
kind, the end can never really be anticipated and it is surely better in
these circumstances for such encroachment never to have been started.
Caravans.
It cannot be said that the year has seen a solution to this problem
in Hornchurch.
We still have with us occupied sites at Rainham; near Gallows
Corner ; at Ingrebourne Farm and near Hacton House. These sites, to
some extent, present a very varied picture in many ways, but they all
have in common the feature that they provide accommodation for
caravans without permission and that it appears to be impossible to
regularise the position with real rapidity. As I mentioned in a previous
report, it is no easy matter on public health grounds to take action in
respect of caravan sites even although such sites are not licensed.
Only minimum provision is required to satisfy, theoretically, any public
health demands that might be made, and such provision may fall far
short of what one would wish to see in a district of this kind, or for that
matter, in any district. The solution to the caravan problem must be
the increasing provision of other forms of accommodation, since surely
only a small minority of people would freely select caravan accommodation
as their first choice. Especially where there are children, a caravan
is not the place for a permanent home to be set up. In the case of
childless couples, under controlled conditions and, for example, temporarily
on holidays, the position might be different; but at any rate in
Hornchurch, caravaning as it is practised is not in general going to
provide much of a counter attraction to permanent housing provision.
Land Charges Enquiries.
During the year 4,628 land charges enquiries were referred to the
department regarding the question of outstanding sanitary notices.
Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954.
In terms of Section 1 of this Act I submitted to you a comprehensive
report on the local position and I have noted below certain
extracts from this report.
A local survey was undertaken with the specific objective of
ascertaining the number of permanent dwellings in respect of which
demolition action, either by Individual House or Area Procedure,
appeared indicated within the next five years (five years was adopted
as a period, because it is specifically noted by the Ministry of Housing
and Local Government in their request for information). In view of
the objects sought our attention was directed in the main to those
houses which in the light of our existing knowledge of them by their
age, by their external appearance or by any other factor, suggested
themselves as demanding detailed inspection and classification. With
this end in view some 250 houses were inspected—in some cases
repeatedly—by my Senior Sanitary Inspector and myself, and only
after most careful assessment was a decision made as to the most
suitable course of action.