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SERVICES UNDER HOUSING ACTS
A large part of the work of the Environmental Health Section
relates to housing conditions; demolition orders, closing orders, repair
notices, overcrowding, house improvements and the like. Whatever
might be the involvement of other officers, these are all matters which
in one way or another concern the Public Health Inspector, and the
housing authority of the future, no less than the present, will require
a strong staff of Inspectors.
The Housing Acts hitherto have not been as effective as they
should have been, and more reliance was placed on action under the
Public Health Acts. The Housing Act, 1969, introduced new powers
to enable local authorities to require the repair of houses, and these
are now used when repairs are needed to bring the house up to a
reasonable standard, having regard to its age, character and location.
The use of these powers is the means to prevent houses from falling
into the unfit category.
The number of houses inspected during 1970 as the result of
applications for Improvement Grants was 421 (Standard 242; Discretionary
179), and these houses were made fit as a condition of the
approval of a Grant.
Applications for Qualifying Certificates (Part III Housing Act,
1969) increased, and the workload in connection with these was (and
still is) considerable. The position on 31st December, 1970, was: —
Section 45, Qualifying Certificates—
Applications received 766
Certificates granted 289
Certificates refused 188
Section 46, Certificates of Provisional Approval—
Applications received 101
Certificates granted 83
Certificates refused —
As will be seen from the above figures, at the end of the year
there was a considerable backlog of work in connection with these
Certificates awaiting attention.
Two appeals against the Council's decision as to the granting or
refusal to grant a Qualification Certificate were heard at Croydon
County Court; 20 houses were involved. The appeal was upheld in
each case.
The implementation of the Council's Slum Clearance programme
continued, and as a result of detailed inspection work, the following
Clearance Areas were declared:—
London Borough of Merton (Church Road) Areas Nos. 1 to 4
(1970)—
97 unfit houses.
London Borough of Merton (Byegrove Road) Area (1970)—
10 unfit houses.
London Borough of Merton (Railway Place) Area (1970)—
8 unfit houses.
No public local inquiries were held during the year, but an
inquiry regarding London Borough of Merton, South Wimbledon
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