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27
SECTION C.
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA.
The Chief Public Health Inspector reports as follows:—
Rent Act. 1957.
" The work of inspecting dwellinghouses under this Act continued
during 1958 at a similar level to that during 1957. Comparative figures of
certificates issued under the Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Acts
1920 and 1933 and the Housing Repairs and Rents Act 1954 indicate the
effectiveness of the 1957 Act to promote the intention of Parliament to (a)
make better the sanitary conditions of dwellinghouses; (b) afford an equitable
economic return in rent to the landlord and (c) prevent undue deterioration
of houses thereby preventing action under the Housing Act 1957 in
relation to slum clearance. The number of certificates issued under earlier
Acts during the ten years prior to the passing of the 1957 Act was 121, of
which four only relate to the years 1947 to 1953. Much work was done by
house-owners without recourse to the statutory provisions relating to Disrepair
Certificates.
Particulars relating to 1958 are as follows
Applications for Certificates of Disrepair received 198
Certificates of Disrepair grantcd 191
Applications withdrawn 3
Certificates of Disrepair refused 4
Certificates of Disrepair issued 55
Undertakings received from landlords 156
Unexpired Notices of Proposal to issue Certificates of
Disrepair 9
Certificates cancelled 32
Applications for cancellations of Certificates applied
for but not granted 7
Applications for Revocation (Outstanding at end of
1958) Nil
Certificates as to remedying of Defects specified in landlord's
Undertaking to remedy Defects;
Issued to Landlords 38
Issued to Tenants 7
(32 Certificates of Disrepair issued under the Housing Repairs and
Rents Act, 1954, were unrevoked at the end of 1958. One application
for cancellation was received, but not granted.)
Housing Act, 1957 (Slum Clearance).
Three Clearance Areas were declared by the Council during 1958,
namely:—llford Hill, which was subsequently approved by the Minister
of Housing and Local Government; Inglehurst Gardens, which has been
the subject of a Public Enquiry; and the Willow Walk. High Road, area.
The number of dwellings dealt with under the Council's five-year programme
is 174 out of a total of 291 houses included in the original scheme.
Atmospheric Pollution.
The three sites having complete measuring instruments have been in
operation for more than two years and figures for the second year are
included in my report. A comparison with differing and similar towns
to llford indicates that the air we breathe is better than most large industrial
towns but inferior to that in rural and seaside areas. The figures are
indicative of this viewpoint. The shortage of 'premium fuels' continued
to influence the Council in the creation of a 'Smoke Control Area'; nevertheless
it is hoped that this problem will be solved by the speeding up of
the manufacture of such fuels to afford a free choice of heating fuels for
all residents in smoke control areas. New smokeless fuels are being produced
in increasing quantities and it is expected that the public will become
'smoke' conscious by publicity and education.