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During the year 17 properties were dealt with by the Public Health
Committee and 4 were demolished. A further property, the subject of our
undertakings made under the Housing Act in 1949, was demolished as it
formed a part of a terrace with the 4 already mentioned. Another house
was demolished, bringing the total to 6; in this case a Demolition Order
was made in 1949. Three other properties were closed after the Housing
Committee had rehoused the occupants. The premises dealt with meant
that 9 families were housed in more congenial surroundings.
Public Health Act
Eighteen premises were redrained and one Public Sewer was repaired;
this work involved expenditure on the part of the owners to close on £900.
It was not necessary for the Council to take any cases of default to the
Magistrates Court for hearing.
Housing and Public Health Acts. General Remarks.
Although the second world war has been over for five years, one is
continually faced, when notices have been served under Public Health and
Housing Acts, with requests from the owner(s) or agent(s) for the work
to be held up while negotiations take place with the War Damage Commission.
This means delay in practically all cases, because of the delay in
getting assessors to visit. One would think that after so many years owners
would have obtained settlement with the War Damage Commission in regard
to the property, but this does not appear to be so, and it is only when the
Local Authority are called in to take action that owners or their agents
think about carrying out War Damage repairs. Obviously, assessors are in
difficulty to establish which defects are dilapidation and which war damage
Obviously, from the owners point of view, all defects are war damage.
Attention must be drawn to the need for the Central Government to
consider the question of allowing an increase in rents for privately-owned
house property. In this Borough some rents for cottage property are as
low as five shillings per week, inclusive. The nominal return to the owned
is considerably reduced when rates (local and water), insurances, etc., are
deducted. Owners of this type and even better property are reluctant to
spend too heavily on property because of the loss of rent over many months,
and in cases over a number of years. This minimum expenditure on
property is gradually reducing the houses to a very poor condition, very
much akin to slum property.
For the average smaller type of house the bill for external painting
would be in the region of £30 to £40 (minimum price). This is a considerable
sum of money for property with a controlled rent and we must face
up to the fact that painting is not applied purely to beautify the appearance
of a house; it is applied in order to prevent the elements rotting the woodwork,
etc.
One hopes that in the future some relief will be allowed to owners so
as to avoid further dilapidation of property.
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