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which local authorities are required to carry out the systematic
inspection of dwelling-houses throughout their Districts, to take
all necessary action, and to keep detailed records.
During the past year inspections have been carried out in
each Ward of the District, and a summary of the results attained
is appended.
Special care and attention has been devoted to the working
of this Act, and following the inspection of any particular property
the owner or owners were invited to meet the Inspectors, and a
number of interviews have taken place. The powers and obligations
contained in the Act have been explained generally, and all
due consideration has been accorded to individual circumstances.
This attitude has in several instances decided the owners to carry
out the various specified requirements, and in such cases the
serving of Closing Orders has been rendered unnecessary.
One real difficulty arising in connection with the closing of
dwellings is the need of suitable accommodation for the tenants
liable to displacement. In a neighbourhood where the development
of villa property is assured, very few cottages suitable for
the working classes are likely to be erected by private enterprise.
The Council has foreseen this difficulty, and has now erected
82 cottages under the Housing Acts, which are let to selected
Tenants at the following weekly rents:—16 at 5/6; 4 at 6/6;
46 at 7/-; 14 at 7/6; and 2 at 8/-, yielding a total rental of
£1,448 per annum, the losses in respect of empty houses and
irrecoverables being practically nil.
The revenue from these cottages is sufficient to cover all
outgoings, including loan repayments and interest.
Workmen's dwellings are urgently required in the
Winchmore Hill portion of the District, and a scheme for the
development of the 10 acres of land at Highfield Road, purchased
by the Council in 1911, has been submitted to the Local
Government Board. It is proposed to erect, in all, about 160