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64
when staff were present to deal with enquiries. The co-operation of the
Housing Committee and other officers in making this house available for
use is gratefully acknowledged.
The build up of enquiries and applications during 1971 followed by
the campaign resulted in the highest ever number of grant applications
being handled,
Following upon the completion of appropriate works by the Council
to its own houses,, grant payments from the Exchequer were received in
respect of three dwellings, and approval to grant received from the
Secretary of State for the Environment for 34 flats on the Thorne Road
Estate, Hew Maiden. Applications in respect of the remaining dwellings
will follow.
General Improvement Areas
During the year no further public participation meetings have been
held and no new General Improvement Areas declared, but the effort of
officers of all departments involved has been directed to making progress
with works in General Improvement Areas in Thorne Road, New Maiden, Mill
Street, Kingston upon Thames, and in preparing for the declaration of the
Portland Road area of Kingston,
Certificates of Qualification
A further 151 applications for qualification certificates were
received and progress was made in dealing with all outstanding cases in
the register.
Housing Condition Survey
Following a request from the Secretary of State for information and
strategy of action to deal with unfit and substandard houses, the Council
appointed two retired public health inspectors to carry out a sample
survey of approximately 1,000 houses. The purpose of the survey was to
establish a picture of the condition of the housing stock of the borough
as a whole and to assess the number of houses likely to be unfit, lacking
in amenities and other related matters. The survey was completed at
the end of the year and a report submitted to the Housing and Health
Committees in 1973.