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37
9 and 12(a) Middle Road, Harrow
8 Headstone Road
36 Dudley Court
36 College Road, Harrow Weald
90 Rickmansworth Road
259-271 (odd nos. incl.) Pinner Road
The first five of these were made the subject of orders, and action in
respect of the other eight was in hand at the end of the year. Nos. 19, 20
and 21 Little Common, Stanmore, where action was initiated during 1961
were also made the subject of Orders during 1962.
Properties Demolished.
During the year 43 unfit properties were demolished. 20 of these
were in the Northolt Road Redevelopment area, the others being:
44/60 (even nos.) Greenford Road (9)
5-25 (odd nos.) Shelley Road (11)
Golf Cottage, Pinner Hill
21/23 Headstone Drive
Rehousing.
The number of families rehoused from properties the subject of
Orders made under the clearance, closing or demolition order provisions
of the Housing Acts was 26. In addition seven families were rehoused
from accommodation that was statutorily overcrowded.
Unfit Properties—Future Programme.
The future programme for dealing with unfit properties is based on
the return submitted (August 1955) to the Minister under the Housing
Repairs and Rents Act 1954. This referred to 577 properties which at the
time of the survey (April 1955) were considered so substandard and in
such a state of disrepair as to be unfit for human habitation. By the end of
1962, 180 of these had been demolished; 53 had been reconditioned; the
Council had purchased 35, a further 103 were the subject of orders, and
action had been started in respect of another 18. Of the remaining 188 the
majority are likely to be reconditioned and modernised, for as they fall
vacant they become free of rent control and questions of reasonable cost
do not arise. Few owners in spite of the improvement grants that are
available are willing or able to modernise an old house that is let at a
controlled rental and the unfit house that is beyond repair at a reasonable
cost continues to give rise to problems for the Local Authority, for the
owner and for the tenant. At the end of the year, however, the worst of the
unfit properties in the Borough had been dealt with and though a number