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The total number of visits to premises of all kinds was 6,247.
Consideration of the general improvement of part of the South
Wimbledon area continued during the year, and the Working Party
of officers referred to in my last Report met on numerous occasions.
In December, 1971, the Council declared the area enclosed by Haydons
Road, All Saints Road, Leyton Road and Merton High Street
(Plan No. TP/P/128) to be a General Improvement Area to be
known as the 'All Saints General Improvement Area'. By the same
Resolution the Council instructed the officers to compile a chronological
programme of the implementation of the proposals contained in
the improvement scheme.
SERVICES UNDER OTHER ENACTMENTS
Rent Act, 1957/68—Certificates of Disrepair.
The following is a summary of applications dealt with during
1971:—
Applications received (Form I) 2
Decisions not to issue Certificates Nil
Certificates issued (Form L) 1
Undertakings given (Form K) 1
Number of visits made 17
Shops Acts, 1950-65.
The Shops Acts regulate the closing hours of shops and the
working hours of shop assistants. Shops in the Borough have been
kept under observation and contraventions have been remedied. Formal
action has also been taken in respect of general closing hours,
half-day closing, and Sunday trading. During the year, advice has
been given when required to the three Chambers of Commerce, and
to individual shopkeepers. Inspection records were added to and the
Shops Register kept up-to-date
In my last Annual Report I referred to preliminary steps which
were being taken in respect of a proposed application to the Council
to consider the making of a Six-Day Trading Order. Certain traders
within the Borough did in fact conduct a referendum of shopkeepers,
and the Council was satisfied that a majority of the occupiers of shops
of all classes might be in favour of being exempted from the provisions
of the Act relating to weekly half-holiday closing. Subsequently a
ballot of all the shopkeepers in the Borough was conducted, and as
a result the London Borough of Merton Shops Weekly Half Holiday
Exemption Order, 1971, dated 21st July, 1971, was made in respect of
43 classes of shops. In the case of 20 other classes of shops, more
than half the votes recorded were against exemption, and these were
excluded from the Order. All the shopkeepers in the Borough were
notified as to the making of the Order by letter dated 27th July, 1971.
The number of visits made during the year for all purposes of
the Shops Acts, 1950-65, was 2,108.
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