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16
Shops Acts.
A special inspector has been appointed to carry out the duties under the Shops Acts, cases
requiring attention in connection with sanitary conveniences, hand-washing arrangements,
ventilation and heating being referred to the Health Department for action if necessary.
SECTION D.
HOUSING.
Although much time and thought have been expended in organising and reorganising
the work of the inspectors, the duties of inspection of the district for the purpose of discovering
dwellings which were wholly or in part unfit for human habitation were continued actively.
Over 900 dwellings were inspected for housing defects, of which 12 were found to be so defective
as to be incapable of being rendered fit for habitation at a reasonable expense.
As in previous years, special attention was paid to basement dwellings, and of the 12
dwellings referred to above, 5 were basement and 7 were houses. Closing orders were made
in reference to all the basement dwellings and demolition orders were made in respect of 6 of the
houses represented. Seventeen houses, including those in connection with which demolition
orders had been made during 1936, were demolished during the year under review.
Overcrowding, judged by the standards or the Housing Act, 1936, has not existed in
any part of the Borough to the extent that was found in many industrial towns, but still remains
a definite problem.
At the beginning of the year, 189 overcrowded dwellings were known to exist, involving
192 families, while in addition 17 other cases of legal overcrowding were found during the year.
Of these, 12 families were rehoused so that at the end of the year 197 dwellings containing 197
families remained overcrowded.
Following is a statistical summary of the housing work carried out during the year:—
1. Inspection of Dwelling-houses during the year:—
(1) (a) Total number of dwelling-houses inspected for housing defects
(under Public Health or Housing Acts) 931
(b) Number of inspections made for the purpose 1122
(2) (a) Number of dwelling-houses (included under sub-head (1)
above) which were inspected and recorded, under the
Housing Consolidated Regulations, 1925 351
(b) Number of Inspections made for the purpose 468
(3) Number of dwelling-houses found to be in a state so dangerous or
injurious to health as to be unfit for human habitation 12
(4) Number of dwelling-houses (exclusive of those referred to under the
preceding sub-head) found not to be in all respects reasonably
fit for human habitation 685
2. Remedy of defects during the year without Service of formal Notices :—
Number of defective dwelling-houses rendered fit in consequence of informal
action by the Local Authority or their officers. 550
3. Action under Statutory Powers , during the year :—
A.— Proceedings under sections 9, 10 and 16 of the Housing Acts, 1936:
(1) Number of dwelling-houses in respect of which notices were served
requiring repairs 9
(2) Number of dwelling-houses which were rendered fit after service of formal
notices:—
(a) By owners 38
(ib) By local authority in default of owners Nil
B.— Proceedings under Public Health Acts:—
(1) Number of dwelling-houses in respect of which notices were served requiring
defects to be remedied , 10
(2) Number of dwelling-houses in which defects were remedied after
service of formal notices:—
(a) By owners 12
(b) By local authority in default of owners Nil