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127
June 8th, 1937.
APPENDIX N.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
Sanitary Work.
Overcrowding—Basement Dwellings.
Memorandum by the Medical Officer of Health.
Overcrowding.—The Overcrowding Survey which was due to be completed by the 30th June,
1937, will be completed by that date. During the period some 47,000 dwelling houses will have been
measured.
(Note.—A dwelling house for this purpose means any premises used as a separate dwelling
by members of the working classes or of a type suitable for such use.)
Section 62 (1) of the Housing Act, 1936, makes the landlord responsible for the insertion in
the rent book of the prescribed form showing the permitted number of persons in relation to the house.
So far applications have been received for the permitted number in respect of only 9,000 of the above
dwelling houses. In these circumstances I am of opinion that whether the landlord asks for it or
not it is desirable that the prescribed form showing the permitted number, which information is now
in the possession of the Health Department, should be sent to the landlord in respect of the remaining
38,000 or so dwelling houses. When this has been done the Authority will then be in a strong position
to enforce the overcrowding provisions of the Housing Act, 1936. This work of issuing the prescribed
forms to landlords will involve the retention of the temporary clerk and the temporary typist now
employed for a further period of some seven to nine months, but there is sufficient provision in the
housing estimate approved in connection with the Health Department estimates for this purpose.
If any infringement of overcrowding coming within the terms of the Act is reported after the
1st July, 1937, the Committee may deal with such overcrowding in one of three ways:—
(1) By granting a licence authorising the use for such period as may be specified in the licence
of the house for such number of persons in excess of the permitted number as may be specified
in the licence. (Section 61 of the Housing Act, 1936.)
(2) Circular 1591 of the Ministry of Health suggests that if overcrowding is ascertained after
the appointed day, the Committee should deal with the case on its merits and endeavour
to assist the family by finding alternative accommodation.
(Note.—Such alternative accommodation would only be the subject of grant if the
alternative accommodation offered was accommodation which had been built by the Council
with the intention of relieving overcrowding.)
(3) The Committee may prosecute to secure compliance with the Act.
Basement Dwellings.—This is a matter on which the Committee will probably want to concentrate
as these basement dwellings certainly produce unsatisfactory housing conditions. There are in all
approximately 1,228 houses in Willesden containing 2,016 basement rooms. Only some 125 of
these basement rooms comply with the Council's Regulations; 1,270 of them could probably be made
to comply; 348 probably cannot be made to comply; while 273 of these rooms are now used as
stores.
With regard to basement rooms, the Council have the following powers:—
(a) to close them so long as they do not comply with the Regulations, but if the necessary work
is done to make them comply they can again be used as dwellings ;
(b) to close them, but the use of such rooms may be permitted for such other purpose as may be
sanctioned by the Council, subject to the proviso that this sanction must not be unreasonably
withheld.
Staff.
In order to carry out the above work the two temporary Sanitary Inspectors now in the employ
of the Council should be put on the permanent staff. Provision for this exists in the estimates. When
this is done it is proposed to divide the Borough into 11 areas each of which will as nearly as possible
contain equal amounts of work having regard to the number of basement dwellings and the probable
amount of overcrowding in the areas concerned. It is also proposed to retain Mr. Taylor to deal
particularly with the work which is still going on with regard to the transference of persons from
clearance areas or overcrowded houses and also with the overcrowding problems that will arise as
the Act becomes fully operative. Mr. Dibblin, the Chief Sanitary Inspector, will be responsible for
all the other work.
GEORGE F. BUCHAN,
Medical Officer of Health.