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16
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF SANITARY INSPECTOR
for the year 1950.
Town Hall,
Anerley Road, S.E.20.
June, 1951.
To the Chairman and Members of the Urban District Council of Penge.
Mr. Chairman, Lady and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to place before you the Annual Report on the work of
the Sanitary Inspectors for the year ended 31st December, 1950.
There is no doubt that Rent Control and the greatly increased cost of repairs
have contributed to the deterioration of house property in the district. Many
landlords, owing to their low financial circumstances, are neglecting their property,
and in consequence complaints are made by tenants to the sanitary inspectors for
action to be taken to improve their housing conditions. This is reflected in the large
number of complaints (1,224) received regarding nuisances and defects in
premises.
In districts which received wide-spread war damage such as Penge, delay is
occasioned in executing repairs to property owing to the prolonged negotiations
between owners and the War Damage Commission regarding war damage claims,
and until agreement is reached owners are very reluctant to have repairs carried
out, since to do so might prejudice their claims.
As will be seen on reference to the list of work executed a large amount of
repair work has, however, been done in consequence of action by your inspectors.
In this connection statutory action is taken only when every informal effort has
failed.
It was found necessary to institute legal proceedings against several owners
in order to abate nuisances caused by housing defects and the following is a summary
of these cases heard during the year:—
Case No. Result.
1. Nuisance Order made to do work in 21 days and pay £1 9s. 6d. costs.
Council did work in default.
2. Nuisance Order made to do work in 42 days and pay £1 10s. 6d costs.
(a) Non-compliance with Nuisance Order. Fined £5 0s. Od.
(b) Continued non-compliance with Nuisance Order. Case adjourned
for four months to enable work to be done.
3. Nuisance Order made to do work in 21 days and pay £1 10s. 6d. costs.
4. Summons withdrawn on payment of 3s. 6d. costs, the work having been done
before hearing of case.
5. Nuisance Order made to do work in 56 days and pay £1 10s. 6d. costs.
(a) Non-compliance with Nuisance Order. Fined £5 0s. Od.
(b) Continued non-compliance with Nuisance Order. Case adjourned
for four months to enable work to be done.