View report page

34.
House Purchase and Housing Act 1959.
Under the provisions of this Act grants are available to property
owners for the improvement of sub-standard houses. The following grants
were made in 1962.
Standard grants 5 Discretionary grants 5
These grant schemes were designed to encourage the improvement
of structurally sound houses by bringing them up to a modern standard
of amenity by the installation of a hot water supply, wash basin, bath.
indoor water closet, proper food storage accommodation and in the case
of discretionary grants, other improvements. Thus, these houses would
be given a new lease of life at a modest outlay compared to the much
larger expense of demolishing and rebuilding, for such substandard
properties will undoubtedly become less attractive and in time, the
slums of the future.
It must be in the national interest to arrest this deterioration
and so take proper care of this enormous asset-our homes and surely,
in this age of space flights and tha atom, it should be possible to
provide every family with a bath, a hot water supply and an indoor water
closet.
Unfortunately the scheme is failing because few owner/occupiers
and no owners of tenanted houses are improving their properties. This
experience is common to built up areas throughout the country.
It is chiefly for this reason that the Minister has issued the
following circular:
Ministry of Housing and Local Government Circular 42/62.
Local authorities are urged to encourage the improvement of
houses lacking bathrooms, washbasins, hot water supplies and indoor
water closets. It suggests that suitable groups of houses which are
sufficiently well built and have the capacity to merit improvement
should be selected and dealt with as Improvement Areas, In these
Areas local authorities are recommended to survey all houses and make
every effort to persuade owners to carry out necessary improvements.
In cases where co-operation is not received the Minister states that he
will be prepared to consider compulsory action.
Upon the instructions of the Council, a survey of properties
in selected areas was commenced during the latter part of 1962 to
determine the number and location of houses in the Borough worthy
of improvement with a view to making 'Improvement Areas.