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Environmental Health
77

Improvement Grants—Publicity
Posters drawing attention to the new Improvement Grants have been exhibited on all the Council's
notice boards in the Borough. At both the "Welcome to Citizenship Exhibition" and the "Borough
Show", exhibitions were arranged to highlight the various types of grants available. Useful models
and photographs were also exhibited illustrating improvement work carried out in the Borough.
In order to give maximum publicity to the Improvement Grant Scheme, Public Health Inspectors
continue to inform owner-occupiers and tenants when visiting dwelling houses the advantages and
of the financial assistance that is available.
Qualification Certificates (Housing Act, 1969)
Section 43 of the Housing Act 1969 makes provision for the conversion of a controlled tenancy
to a regulated tenancy. The effect of this is to enable a "fair rent" to be charged for the dwelling.
The owner, in order to obtain a conversion of a controlled to a regulated tenancy must apply
to the Local Authority for a certificate known as a "Qualification Certificate" which certifies that the
house is provided with all the standard amenities for the exclusive use of its occupants, and that it
is in good repair, having regard to its age, character and locality disregarding internal decorative
repair, and that it is in all other respects fit for human habitation.
Provision in the Act is also made for the issue of "Provisional Qualification Certificates" in
respect of properties which do not possess the standard amenities if the application is made in conjunction
with an application for an Improvement Grant. On receipt of a Provisional Qualification
Certificate the owner may then ask the Rent Officer to fix a rent for the property after the works
are completed.
The inspection of properties in connection with the issue of these Certificates has placed a new
burden on the inspectorate, but in the long term should be well worth while as the incentive of increased
rent may well persuade landlords to invest in the repair of their houses.
Applications for Qualification Certificates received to 31.12.69:—
Number of applications received 775
Number of combined applications received (Improvement Grant and
Qualification Certificate) 1
Number of houses inspected 257
Number of Qualification Certificates granted Nil
Number of Provisional Certificates granted Nil
Qualification Certificates will be issued when the owners have carried out the works necessary
to bring the properties into good repair.
Repair (Housing and Public Health Acts)
It was stated in the previous report that legislation to deal more effectively with the repair of
dwellings under the Housing Acts was long overdue. The Housing Act 1969 has made further