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1936 Part III of the Housing Act, 1936, is the basis of our present day
operations for slum clearance; but the Act again stressed the
need for ensuring that suitable accommodation is available for
displaced persons before any recommendation is made to declare
a clearance area.
1937 In March the Medical Officer of Health recommended the
ment of two additional sanitary inspectors in order that it might be
possible to devote the necessary time to the housing needs of the
area; but no action was taken until the following year, when one
additional inspector was appointed.
1939 With the onset of the second World War the Government called a
halt to slum clearance action by local authorities, and during the
next five years the demolition of slums was an activity pursued
by the enemy only.
1944 Following a request by the Minister of Health to local authorities to
review their housing needs and submit proposals, the Medical
Officer of Health drew attention to the number of different
Committees of the Council dealing with the same housing problem
in different ways, and suggested the advisability of correlating the
functions and co-ordinating the work of these committees in order
to avoid duplication of effort and to ensure that the best use is
made of the powers and facilities available. He also drew attention
again to the need to provide alternative accommodation for
families de-housed by clearance area procedure.
1945 After two deferments of the recommendation of the Medical Officer
of Health "qua" co-ordination, the Public Health Committee
recommended the Council to constitute a special Committee to
co-ordinate all matters relating to housing. The constitution of
the special co-ordinating committee and the number of meetings
to be held annually were specified (Minute 919—1944-45).
1952 In March the Council instructed the officers to submit to the June
meeting of the Housing and Town Planning Committee a comprehensive
report on Future Housing Development.
In June a comprehensive report was submitted jointly by the Town
Clerk, Borough Treasurer and Borough Engineer and Surveyor;
but after considering it the Council decided that a joint report,
on areas suitable for rc-development, be submitted by the Medical
Officer of Health, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, and Borough
Treasurer.
The Chairman of the Housing Committee appealed to the Chairman
of the Public Health Committee for closer liaison between the two
Committees to ensure that the latter Committee would not
embarrass the former by making official representations for the
demolition of unfit houses as the Housing Committee had not the
available accommodation in which displaced tenants could be
re-housed The officers of the sanitary authority were asked to
hold their hands for two or three years in order to allow the
housing authority time to get over what they regarded as a difficult
period, and the appeal for a "standstill" has been observed.