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were instituted in 8 cases. Such proceedings are not, however, always successful in
enforcing essential repairs; in two instances the Public Health Committee were obliged
to operate Closing/Demolition Order procedure as provided by Section 17/18 of the
Housing Act.
During the year under review 74 applications under the Rent Act, 1957 for certificates
of disrepair and 48 applications for certificates as to the remedying of defects
etc., were received and dealt with by the Public Health Inspectorate; 87 notices (Form
J) of the Council's proposal to issue such certificates were served on landlords
arising out of which 59 undertakings (Form K) to remedy defects specified thereon within
a period of 6 months were submitted by the owners and accepted by the Council and
39 certificates of disrepair were issued.
SLUM CLEARANCE AND REDEVELOPMENT AREAS
The Council's programme in relation to slum clearance and re-development continues
to make satisfactory progress; it is gratifying to note that most of the houses contained
in the first scheme - the Crescent Road area-have now been demolished and redevelopment
of new houses is now well in hand.
Every house in the first stage of the Beaumont Road area has been surveyed in
detail by the Public Health Inspectorate to determine the extent to which the houses
were defective in relation to disrepair, stability, dampness, natural lighting, ventilation,
water supply, drainage and sanitary facilities and bad arrangement in relation
to other buildings. In October 1959 the Medical Officer of Health submitted to the
Public Health Committee an official representation in respect of 5 Clearance Areas,
and a report prepared jointly with the Chief Public Health Inspector on the main and
materia] conditions existing in the Areas which in their opinion rendered demolition
of all houses and other buildings necessary, either by reason of their unfitness for
human habitation, or because they were by reason of their bad arrangement or the narrowness
or bad arrangement of the streets, dangerous or injurious to the health of the
inhabitants of the Areas.
At its meeting on 10th November, 1959, the Public Health Committee recommended the
Council to declare the afore-mentioned areas to be clearance areas in accordance with
provisions of Section 42 of the Housing Act and referred to the Housing and Town
Planning Committee the question of the steps to be taken to secure the clearance and
re-development of the areas and the re-housing of persons to be displaced. The Housing
Committee supported the recommendation of the Public Health Committee and recommended
the Council to make a Compulsory Purchase Order to purchase lands in the Clearance
Areas and additional lands considered necessary to secure a site of convenient shape
and dimensions for satisfactory development. This was subsequently confirmed by the
Council at its meeting on 26th November, 1959.
Official representation was also made to the Public Health Committee during the
year in respect of a small Clearance Area adjoining the Crescent Road scheme - the
Carlisle Road Area, At the time of preparing this report confirmation of the Compulsory
Purchase Order had been received from the Ministry of Housing and Local Government.
The Crescent Road, and Beaumont Road areas form part of
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