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of the Minister of Housing and Local Government, it may undertake
the provision of housing accommodation on the land if
there is no housing society to which it can be sold or leased.
Before submitting a scheme for the provision of housing
accommodation to the Minister for approval, the Corporation
must send a copy of it to the local authority in whose area the
land is situated and it may make representations about the
scheme. The Corporation may take over a scheme from a society
which runs into difficulties. It may also provide legal,
architectural and other technical advice to housing societies
as well as to housing associations and persons interested in
forming societies.
Whore a housing society desires to acquire any land and
has requested the local authority in whose area it is situated to
acquire the land, under Part V of the Housing Act, 1957 for the
purpose of selling or leasing it to the society, the Corporation
may purchase it compulsorily upon be?ng satisfied that the local
authority are unwilling to do so, or are only willing subject to
conditions which are not acceptable to the society. The local
authority will have the right to make representations to the
Minister about the proposed compulsory purchase.
Provision is made for advancing up to £50 m. to the
Housing Corporation, which sum may be increased to £100 m.
subject to the approval of Parliament.
Part II - Compulsory Improvement of Dwellinp;s to
Provide Standard Amenities
Clause 13 empowers local authorities to declare and
advertise improvement areas and specifies the physical condition
of the dwellings, which must be taken into account in selecting
the areas. The local authority must be satisfied that the area
contains dwellings which are without one or more of the standard
amenities and that these dwellings, or at least 50$ of them, are
so constructed that it is practicable to improve them to the full
standard, and that after they have been improved they will be fit
for human habitation and, subject to normal maintenance, will
remain so for not less than 15 years.
This Clause places upon local authorities the duty to cause
an inspection of their district to be made from time to time with
a view to ascertaining whether any area ought to be declared an
improvement area.
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