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IV. HOUSING
Clearance Areas.
During'the year an official representation was made by the Borough
Council in respect of a clearance area of 131 houses. In addition,
nine areas, involving 290 houses, were declared by the London County
Council.
One hundred and thirty-three properties were demolished under the
Housing Act, 1936, during the year - 122 by the London County Council
under Part III of the Act, and U by the Borough Council.
One of the houses demolished was No.100, Sidney Street where, on
the 3rd January, 1911, the incident which became known as the "Siege of
Sidney Street" took place, when two armed men were besieged by police
and Scots Guards, in the presence of Sir Winston Churchill who at that
time was Home Secretary.
Overcrowding.
During the year 87 cases of alleged overcrowding were investigated,
56 of which were confirmed and referred to the London County Council.
Fourteen overcrowded families were rehoused by the London County
Council, and the number of known overcrowded families on the register
decreased from 1,040 to 621, a review of the register accounting for
the removal of 461 cases.
Underground Rooms.
There are approximately 2,850 underground rooms in the Borough
used for living or sleeping purposes, about 2,730 of which are unfit.
During the year 67 rooms were closed and the modified occupation of
11 rooms approved. The number of underground rooms closed since 1936
amounts to date to 408. Progress on closure generally is held up for
lack of suitable alternative accommodation.
An interesting case which culminated in an important ruling relating
to underground rooms was heard at Shoreditch County Court and the Court
of Appeal.
(The Stepney Borough Council was indirectly concerned in the case
by virtue of the fact that the tenant had applied to the Council and
. had obtained a disrepair certificate under the Housing Repairs and
Rents Act, but on completion of the work the certificate was revoked
on the application of the landlord. The tenant considered that the
certificate should not have been revoked).
The tenant had been served with a notice of increase of rent under
the Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954, and had failed to pay the
increase because he alleged the house was in a state of disrepair. The
Judge found for the landlord because the tenant held no "Certificate of
Disrepair" from the Borough Council.
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