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39
been dealt with by that Committee in this manner, but the number is likely
to increase substantially when the provisions of the new Act become more
widely known and appreciated by owners of insanitary property.
Before concluding proceedings under Section 11 or 12 of the Housing
Act, 1936, the Council would have to decide whether to make a demolition
order and re-house the occupants, or to operate the deferred demolition
procedure in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Housing
Repairs and Rents Act. The latter decision would result in the Council
purchasing the house at site value and, with the aid of a State Grant, maintaining
it in tolerably habitable condition until the occupants are re-housed.
The period during which the house is retained for temporary accommodation
will depend on the ability of the Council to provide alternative housing
accommodation which, as already indicated, may be anything from one to
five or more years. The number of slum properties acquired by the Council
would be limited to those which have reached a stage where—in spite of all
statutory action under the Public Health Act—it has not been possible to
effect any improvement in the insanitary conditions in which the occupants
are living.
We realise that the Council may be reluctant to take this step to acquire
financially unprofitable investments, and may dislike the prospect of becoming
and remaining landlords of even a comparatively small number of slum
properties ; but we submit that in the circumstances there is no reasonable
alternative if the health and well-being of the occupants are the paramount
considerations.
REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF DWELLING HOUSES
Vigorous and resolute use of the statutory powers available to the local
authority for securing the repair and maintenance of existing dwelling
houses must form an integral part of the Council's proposals under Section 1
of the new Act.
Especially valuable are those powers which enable the local authority
to carry out in default of the owner, works required to comply either with
notices served under Section 9 of the Housing Act, 1936, or with nuisance
orders (Court Orders) made under the Public Health Act, 1936, and to
recover from the owner the costs incurred. Comparatively little use has been
made of these provisions in the past, and we recommend that in all appropriate
cases these powers be exercised to the full.
Another provision—of which little use has been made—is Section 4 of
the Housing Act, 1949, which empowers the local authority to grant loans
to property owners in order to enable them to fulfil their statutory obligations
in carrying out essential repairs.
IMPROVEMENT AND MODERNISATION OF DWELLING
HOUSES
It is sound economic policy to devote special attention and care to the
rehabilitation of residential property capable of providing comfortable homes
for another generation or more. In Leyton there are many thousands of such
houses, structurally sound but lacking in amenities considered desirable
according to modern ideas. The houses comprise the backbone of Leyton's
existing housing accommodation, and unless they are preserved by modernisation
many of them will deteriorate beyond the stage of satisfactory repair.