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living conditions in the area ought to be improved, and that by using the powers available to them
they will be able to secure or assist with such an improvement whether by improving the dwellings
in the area or carrying out environmental work to improve the amenities of the area, or both.
Local authorities are expected to find potential general improvement areas from those areas predominantly
residential but in which the houses are lacking in basic amenities, need repair and
have not yet reached the end of their useful life.
Officers of the Department of the Environment visited eleven areas in Hillingdon which
were suggested by the Redevelopment Working Party; of these only two were considered to be
possible general improvement areas. One is in Yiewsley comprising Tavistock Road, Bentinck Road,
Winnock Road, Wimpole Road, Padcroft Road and High Street, making a total of 134 houses.
The other is in Uxbridge and comprises Cowley Mill Road, Waterloo Road and the Bridge Road
area. This latter area had already been declared an improvement area under the Housing Act, 1964
(Improvement Area No. 3) and progress is shown in the table on page 84. Of the 134 houses
in the suggested Yiewsley area, 94 already have the basic amenities and 40 require improvement.
In this latter group only 10 owner occupiers and 4 tenants are interested in improvements at the
present time. Thus, unless there is a necessity on planning grounds for the environmental improvement
of these areas, existing powers and the improvement grants available are sufficient to deal
with the repair and improvement of individual properties. These are:
(i) The right of a tenant to make a representation to the Council to require a landlord to
provide standard amenities.
(ii) The right of a landlord to appeal to the County Court to require a tenant to have standard
amenities.
(iii) The agreement of landlord and tenant voluntarily to have improvements carried out with
the assistance of an Improvement Grant.
(iv) The right of the local authority to serve appropriate notices to secure the repair of a
dwelling house.
Dwellings outside Improvement Areas, Section 19, Housing Act, 1964
Comment was made earlier that the authority to declare improvement areas under the 1964
Housing Act, together with the power of compulsion to require the provision of standard amenities
were withdrawn. However, there was retained in the 1969 Housing Act the opportunity for the
tenant of a dwelling house to make representation to the Council with a view to the exercise by
the Council of their power under Section 19 of the Housing Act, 1964 to require a landlord to
provide any missing standard amenity. If the landlord does not choose to provide these amenities
after service of notice by the Council he may serve a purchase notice on the Council to buy his
interest in the house. There has been one purchase notice served on the Council after the service
of a Section 19 notice, but this was subsequently withdrawn as the house was sold to the occupier
who is taking advantage of an improvement grant to improve the house himself.
Although public health inspectors explain to tenants the details of action that can be taken
under this section, tenants are reluctant to make representations. This is probably due to the fear
of having to pay a new "fair rent" for the improvements effected. Old people in particular do not
wish to trouble with the inconvenience of building alterations.
Dwellings outside Improvement Areas (Section 19 Applications)
1. Number of representations made by tenants 2
2. Number of Preliminary Notices served (full standard) 3
3. Number of Immediate Improvement Notices served (full standard) 3
4. Number of dwellings improved:
(a) full standard 5
(b) reduced standard —
85