View report page

19
SANITARY SECTION
Staff
The authorised establishment of sanitary inspectors is one Chief Sanitary Inspector, one Deputy Chief
Sanitary Inspector and 17 District Sanitary Inspectors.
During the year, one Sanitary Inspector resigned and one died, and the vacancies were filled by the
appointment of a qualified Pupil Sanitary Inspector and a qualified clerk in the Sanitary Inspector's Office.
The authorised establishment of pupil sanitary inspectors is 6, and during the year there were 5 on
the staff,
The Rodent Officer and 4 operatives were employed in the destruction of rats and mice in dwelling
houses, factories and other industrial buildings, and on bombed sites and waste lands. Two labourers were
employed on vermin disinfestation, drain testing, and general duties.
SANITARY INSPECTION OF THE AREA
The Housing (Standards of Fitness) Sub-committee continued its work of dealing with defects in
privately owned houses in the area by action under the Public Health Act, 1936, and the Housing Act, 1936.
The defects are brought to the notice of the committee through tenants' complaints, and these were almost
as many as the previous year. The general work of the committee was described in the annual report for
1949.
It would appear that many more houses in the district are deteriorating and becoming slum property.
Landlords maintain that it is not economical for them to repair houses to a reasonable standard when the
rents are controlled and building costs have increased. Defects are therefore often not attended to in the
early stages when the costs would be low, with the result that when they become more serious a much larger
amount of money has to be spent on them. A solution will have to be found to this problem, otherwise
many more houses will soon be fit only for demolition. The shortage of accommodation has again prevented
the carrying out of a policy of getting rid of slum property, and tenants to-day are often prepared to put up
with such property as they have no other place to go to.
CLOSING AND DEMOLITION ORDERS
Housing Act, 1936 (Sections 11 and 12)
Closing orders :
2-11, Preston Place, Belton Road; 11, Granville Road (second floor); 1 and 2, Victoria
Villas (basements) 13 (1)
Demolition orders :
3, Rupert Road; 1 and 2, Bridge Place; 76, Canterbury Road 4 (8)
(1950 figures in brackets)
Some of the demolition orders made in 1950 (19, Grosvenor Gardens, 1, Avenue Road, 2, Rupert
Road and 14, Victoria Villas) have not yet been complied with, because it has not been found possible to
re-house the tenants living there. The demolition of 7, Rupert Road was carried out by the Borough
Engineer in default of the owners. The owners of 32, Connaught Road appealed to the County Court against
the demolition order. Prior to the hearing of the appeal the Borough Council agreed to the proposition
made by the owners that the Council would re-house the existing tenants if the owners would do all the
necessary repairs and adapt the house as three flats; the owners undertook to accept nominees from the
Council's housing waiting list as tenants for the three flats. There has been considerable delay in the owners
carrying out their agreement.
The orders for demolition of the four properties made in 1951 have not yet been carricd out, too,
because it has not been possible to re-house the tenants.
Overcrowding
There are no accurate figures of present day overcrowding in the area, but it is hoped that the census
and a house-to-house inspection which is being carried out now will give some information on this. The
number of licences issued to permit temporary overcrowding under section 61 of the Housing Act, 1936,
were fewer in 1951 than in 1950. This was mainly due to the fact that landlords are no longer using this
section to obtain an eviction because they know that the Court tends to deal sympathetically with the tenants.
1951 1950
Licences to permit temporary overcrowding in excess of the permitted number, section 61,
Housing Act, 1936: licences issued 2 6