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3. Action under Statutory Powers during the Year:—
A. Proceedings under Sections 9, 10 and 16 of the Housing
Act, 1936 :—
(1) Number of dwelling-houses in respect of which
notices were served requiring repairs 10
(2) Number of dwelling-houses which were rendered
fit after service of formal notices:—
(a) By owners 8
(b) By Local Authority in default of owners
B. Proceedings under Public Health Acts:—
(1) Number of dwelling-houses in respect of which
notices were served requiring defects to be
remedied 54
(2) Number of dwelling-houses in which defects were
remedied after service of formal notices :—
(a) By owners 27
(b) By Local Authority in default of owners 18
C. Proceedings under Sections 11, 12 and 13 of the
Housing Act, 1936 -
Complaints.
During the year 1,597 complaints were investigated by the Sanitary
Inspectors. Of these 538 arose from blocked or defective sewers or
drains, 83 from accumulations of rubbish and 51 from nuisances from
animals or birds. 330 related to housing defects of which 102 were
defects of plumbing, 49 from dampness and 46 from defective waterclosets.
Complaints as to rats and mice numbered 69, and as to insect
and vermin infestation 48. Householders were experiencing increasing
difficulty in obtaining dustbins and 188 complaints were from this cause.
This problem has now been largely got over by the Council's having
obtained bins to supply to the owners of premises.
Many complaints continue to be received in regard to matters over
which, as the public health authority, the Council has no control,
e.g., flooded air raid shelters, accumulations of milk bottles, the overgrowing
of gardens with weeds, broken garden fences and the burning
of rubbish in gardens.
Informal action in 1,238 instances was followed by the abatement
of the nuisance in 1,143 cases. During the year 114 statutory notices
under the Public Health Acts were served, 105 being complied with,
though in 18 instances the work was executed in default by the local
authority. Under the Housing Acts 10 statutory notices were served,
8 being complied with.
Inspection of Houses.
96 surveys were carried out under the Housing Acts, mostly following
receipt of an application from the owner or agent for a certificate of
particulars of the number of persons permitted to occupy the premises.
The total number of certificates issued since the coming into force of
these sections of the Act is 10,076, this figure being made up of 2,122