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145
INDIVIDUAL UNFIT HOUSES. S. II, HOUSING ACT, 1936
In 1937, one house, 7, Dereham Place, was represented as not fit for human
habitation and not capable at reasonable expense of being rendered fit. The owner
gave an undertaking that the premises would not be used for residential purposes,
which was accepted by the Council in February. The house was subsequently vacated
in June and later in the year demolished.
Two houses, Nos. 47 and 55, Appleby Street, represented in 1936 as being not
fit for human habitation under section 19 of the Housing Act, 1930, were demolished
during the year.
UNDERGROUND ROOMS
During the year 207 basement rooms were visited and of these 184 were reported
to the Housing Committee as being underground rooms within the meaning of the
Act. Undertakings were given in respect of 124 of these rooms by the Owner or
Agent and of these 72 were in force at the end of the year. Closing orders were made
by the Council in respect of 9 rooms, and of these 6 were closed by the end of the year,
the remainder being closed early in 1938. In 13 of the underground rooms, the owners
carried out the necessary work required and the rooms were made to comply with the
regulations. Five underground rooms belonging to the Borough Council were closed
during the year.
Table No. 124 shows the position during the year in respect to underground
rooms.

The total number of underground rooms reported to the Council during 1937 but still
not complying with the Regulations at the end of the year was 177.
ERADICATION OF BED BUGS
The method employed in 1936 to prevent the bug infestation of the Council's
flats was continued throughout 1937. All families who are allocated flats have to subject
their belongings to fumigation. At about 8 a.m. on the day of removal a specially