View report page

(b) Dwellings demolished after issue
of certificate of unfitness
Statutory Remedied
Notices
(c) Section 90 Housing
Act, 1957 4 4
Section 15 Housing
Act, 1961 5 2
Section 16 Housing
Act, 1961 3 1
Section 19 Housing
Act, 1961 4 1
3,433 inspections and re-inspections were made,
many of them at dwellings in multiple occupation
and/or occupied by immigrant persons and 1,300
items of disrepair were made good as a result of
informal action
The Director of Housing is kept informed of
adverse housing conditions and assistance is given
in assessing applications for rehousing where
priority on medical grounds is claimed.
The Solicitor to the Council and the Valuation
and Estates Officer are advised on conditions
found upon inspection of dwellings subject to
applications for mortgage or repairs loans or
improvement grants. 185 mortgage applications and
155 grant applications were dealt with during the
year.
Searches into records were made under the Land
Charges Act 1925 in respect of 4 814 applications.
Four representations were received from tenants
requesting the exercise by the borough council of
their powers under Section 19 of the Housing Act
1964. One preliminary notice was served and one
house was improved to the full standard as a result
of action commenced in the previous year.
Under the Rent Act 1968 eight applications for
certificates of disrepair were approved and five
undertakings given by the landlords to remedy the
defects. One certificate of disrepair was issued.
Moveable dwellings.
Seven site licences under the Caravan Sites and
Control of Development Act 1960 were operative
relating to 10 caravans. Sites occupied by show
men are exempt from licensing requirements,
317 inspections of these and other moveable
dwellings were made during the year The provisions
of Part II of the Caravan Sites Act, 1968
96
are under active consideration by the borough
counciI.
Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949.
The annual return submitted to the Minister appears
in Table 25.
This section has also suffered from a high staff
sickness rate and from a serious accident sustained
by the Rodent Officer outside working hours. Fort
unately he was able and willing during convalescence
to maintain contact with the department and to ensure
that field work continued. Routine inspections again
exceeded those arising from complaints. Income
received for the treatment of business premises
amounted to £3 561 Us. 9d
149 inspections were also made by public health
inspectors in connection with preventive works
mainly of a structural nature
Feral pigeons
260 pigeons were destroyed in exercise of the powers
conferred upon the council by Section 74 of the
Public Health Act 1961 and it is known that commer
cial pest destruction specialists have destroyed at
least a further 400
These combined efforts do not show a spectacular
reduction in the pigeon population of parts of the
borough, and it is clear that effective control would
be easier if the feeding and encouragement of wild
pigeons (and seagulls) by misguided bird lovers
whose property is presumably not fouled or damaged
by the birds, were made an offence.
Pet Animals Act 1951
Eleven premises are licensed and 57 inspections
were made during the year.
Riding Establishments Act. 1964
Two annual licences are in force and the establish
ments are inspected periodically by the public health
inspectors and by the veterinary inspector. 26 such
visits were made during the year to these and other
stables.
Animal Boarding Establishments Act, 1963
One annual licence is in face and the premises were
inspected on three occasions during the year.