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crowding, or at the request of the London County Council or the Borough Council
Housing Departments. Reports were sent to both Housing Departments setting
out details of the applicants' present accommodation.
Upon application being made by either landlord or occupier the Council are
under an obligation to give in writing a statement of the permitted number of
persons in respect of any dwelling house, and measurements of dwellings for this
purpose were taken on 652 occasions, compared with 475 in 1952.
Individual Unfit Houses.
During 1953 new legislation—the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions)
Act, 1953—was passed, permitting a local authority, if they consider it inexpedient
to make a demolition order in respect of an individual unfit house, to make a closing
order, having regard to the effect the demolition might have on adjoining property.
A Closing Order may prohibit the use of the house for any purpose other than a
purpose approved by the local authority.
Before the coming into force of this legislation, it was possible to make a Closing
Order in respect of part of a house only, as distinct from a whole house. In those
cases where the Council considered it inexpedient that a terrace house should be
demolished, in view of the effect it might have on adjoining property, it was a
practice of the Council to accept an undertaking from the owner that the premises
would not be used for human habitation.
Twenty-three houses (compared with 11 in 1952) were represented during the
year as being unfit for human habitation, and incapable of being made fit at reasonable
expense. Formal notices were served on the owners under the provisions of
the Housing Acts. After consideration of each case, demolition orders were made
by the Council in respect of ten of these houses. Four undertakings not to use
the premises for human habitation were accepted before the coming into operation
of the new Closing Order procedure, and Closing Orders under the provisions of Section
10 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1953, were made in
respect of five premises. Details of the houses dealt with are as follows:—
166, Plumstead Common Road Undertaking 25th March, 1953
20, Church Hill Demolition Order 27th April, 1953
22, Church Hill Demolition Order 27th April, 1953
79, Woolwich High Street Demolition Order 28th May, 1953
1, Elizabeth Terrace Undertaking 29th May, 1953
7, Limbrey's Buildings Demolition Order 26th June, 1953
20, Chapel Hill Demolition Order 26th June, 1953
19, Abbey Terrace Undertaking 10th July, 1953
79, Villas Road Demolition Order 22nd July, 1953
81, Villas Road Demolition Order 22nd July, 1953
34, Elmley Street Undertaking 27th July, 1953
2, Kingsman Street Closing Order— 21st October, 1953
whole house.
83, Sand Street Closing Order— 22nd October, 1953
whole house.
2, Fennell Street Closing Order— 22nd October, 1953
whole house.
15, Walpole Place Closing Order— 22nd October, 1953
whole house.
8, Samuel Street Demolition Order 24th November, 1953
10, Samuel Street Demolition Order 24th November, 1953
9, Purrett Road Demolition Order 23rd December, 1953
97, Raglan Road Closing Order— 23rd December, 1953
whole house.
In March, 1951, following my official representation that the premises were
unfit, the owner of 33, Woodhill, Woolwich, gave an undertaking that the house
would not be used for human habitation. During 1953, on the owner's application,
the Council rescinded this undertaking on being satisfied that the premises had
been rendered fit again.
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