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Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954.
This Act, which came into force at the end of August, 1954, provided
(with safeguards) for the increase of rents on appropriate
properties. One of the conditions with which the owner had to comply
was that the house had to be in good repair, and if this was not so
and a demand for increased rent was made, then a certificate of
disrepair could be issued to the tenant on his application to the
Local Authority, which had the effect of stopping the increase
demanded until such time as the house was put into good repair.
It was anticipated that there would be many applications for these
certificates, but there were only eight issued up to the end of December,
1954, six of which were in respect of the same owner's properties.
Repairs under Section 9, Housing Act, 1936.
Repairs to property under this Act were executed by the owners
in all cases except one, and in that case tenders were obtained by
agreement with the owner.
Housing Repairs & Rents Act, 1954
Part 1, Section 1(1). Circular 55/54
The above Act and the circular issued in connection with it required
Local Authorities to furnish the Minister, within a year after
the commencement of the Act, with proposals for dealing with
houses which appeared to the Authority to be unfit for human
habitation, and with any houses which were, or in the opinion of the
Local Authority ought to be, included in the clearance areas.
After recommendation from the Sub-Committee and the Medical
Officer of Health, the Public Health Committee decided that a survey
should be made of the Borough. This was put in hand during the
latter part of the year but obviously it could not be of such magnitude
as to allow for every house to be inspected.
The survey was carried out so as to provide more information than
was required, and cards were used which would give an idea of the
number of properties which might fall under the following headings:
(a) good repair; (b) minor disrepair; (c) general disrepair; (d)
improvement; (e)? flat conversion; (f) basement closure; (g) demolition;
(h) clearance.
This information may or may not be of use to the Council, but
in any event the provision of such details took very little more
time, if any, than was necessary to compile the demolition and
clearance details required for the official return.
Meat Inspection
Suggested central abattoir serving S. W. Essex.
In June, 1947, when the control of slaughtering was in the hands
of the Ministry of Food, a conference was called by West Ham
County Borough Council to put forward the suggestion that a municipal
abattoir might be provided to serve the needs of the areas
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