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Overcrowding :
Licences to permit temporary overcrowding in excess of the permitted number—
Section 61, Housing Act, 1936:
Number of licences issued 3 -
Housing Act, 1936—Sections 11 and 12:
Closing Orders made:
9, 11 and 18, Avenue Close—first floor dwellings;40 Cambridge Avenue—basement 4 3
Demolition Orders made:
195, 197 and 199, Cambridge Road; 17, Granville Road; 101, Albert Road;
49, Melville Road 6 -
In the cases of 17, Granville Road, 101, Albert Road and 49, Melville Road undertakings have been
received from the owners to carry out schedules of works required by the Corporation.
195, 197 and 199, Cambridge Road will be demolished when tenants are re-housed.
HOUSING.
The Housing (Standards of Fitness) Sub-Committee continued the work of improving the conditions
of houses in the area.
Owing to shortage of staff, the majority of houses are only inspected on receipt of a complaint; there
has been no systematic house-to-house inspection. Even this work put a strain on the staff, and the number of
pupil sanitary inspectors was increased to make more frequent re-visits to premises so that the progress of work
required under sanitary notices could be more adequately supervised.
As the existing accommodation at 131, Salusbury Road is overcrowded, consideration was also given
to the transfer of the Sanitary Inspectors' Offices to 54, Winchester Avenue or to a new office block, but no
suitable site has been found for the erection of prefabricated accommodation, and it has been impossible to
release 54, Winchester Avenue from its present use by the County Council.
The Committee considered the question of a pictorial poster to inform tenants of their rights under the
Health and Housing Acts, but after careful consideration, decided to re-issue the two posters issued in 1948
until stocks were exhausted.
The following is the procedure adopted by the Council in dealing with unfit houses. The Sanitary
Inspector serves an intimation notice, followed by a statutory notice if the work has not commenced within
seven days after the receipt of the intimation notice. The question of whether the notice is served under the
Public Health Act or Housing Act depends upon the nature of the defects and the condition of the house. If
there are many defects and there is some doubt whether the house can be rendered fit at a reasonable cost,
the Borough Engineer estimates the cost of repairs and the value of the house after the house has been rendered
fit. The Committee consider these figures and decide whether they serve a housing notice under Section 9 or
a demolition order under Section 11. Six demolition orders were made, but in three cases undertakings were
received from the owners to carry out the schedule of works required by the Corporation. Grants from the
War Damage Commission have permitted owners to undertake repairs of houses which were ripe for
demolition. In the present difficult housing situation additional housing units are welcome, but it is doubtful
whether it is in the interests of the nation's economy to repair these dilapidated houses at considerable cost.