London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Richmond upon Thames 1970

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond upon Thames]

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1957/631964/691970
4. Number of undertakings given by landlords under paragraph 5 of the First Schedule41516
5. Number of undertakings refused by Local Authority under proviso to paragraph 5 of the First Schedule34
6. Number of Certificates issued25213
Applications for Cancellation of Certificates : 7. Applications by landlords to Local Authority for cancellation of certificates134233
8. Objections by tenants to cancellation of certificates543
9. Decisions by Local Authority to cancel in spite of tenant's objection183
10. Certificates cancelled by Local Authority98233

(4) Qualification Certificates
The position at the end of 1970 was as follows:
Number of applications received 979
Number of certificates issued 400
During the year an application for a Qualification Certificate was received from a
Property Company.
The house concerned was built in 1936 and was generally well constructed and
maintained, with the interior being well decorated and furnished by the tenant.
An inspection showed that the Standard Amenities were provided, that there were
no items of disrepair and that the house was otherwise fit for human habitation with
the exception of 6in. of water covering the site concrete (the depth of the sub-floor
space being 5ft. Oin.).
The source of the water could be accounted for by the general level of sub-soil
water in the garden.
The Council accordingly refused to issue the Certificate on the grounds that as to
freedom from damp, the sub-floor space was flooded with water to a depth of 6in.
The owners then appealed to the County Court.
The Registrar inspected the house, and the owners, who acknowledged the presence
of the water, submitted that a damp proof course was provided, there was adequate
sub-floor ventilation, the walls were not damp above the damp proof course and there
was no significant dampness or decay in the floor timbers.
The Local Authority submitted that the sub-floor space was part of the house, that
water over the site concrete constituted excessive dampness and that entry of damp
laden ground air into the house rendered the dwelling unfit for human habitation.
The Registrar, after reviewing Section 4, Housing Act, 1957, accepted the submissions
of the owners that water 5ft. Oin. from the living rooms had not produced any
structural dampness or damage to the floor timbers; he could not deduce any ill effect
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