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114
During the year the following action was taken in respect
of houses in multiple occupation:
Number of houses in which additional services or
facilities were provided 16
Number of houses provided with means of escape in
case of fire 20
Number of houses where directions were made to
prevent or reduce overcrowding 2
Number of houses where overcrowding was abated 7
Applications for re-housing baled on medical priorities
amounted to 222 during 1967, of which 197 were supported. A
further 11 cases were reviewed and awarded increased priority.
The administration of the Rent Acts, Insofar as the issue
of certificates of disrepair was concerned continued much as
in 1966, there being only five epplications received, all of
which were granted. Three undertakings were received from
landlords to carry out specific repairs. Two certificates of disrepair
were issued. No certificates of disrepair were cancelled
during the year.
Gypsies and Other "Travellers"
During the year a vast amount of time and paper has been
wasted in endeavouring either to move on the itinerants who
have occupied the verge on Woodford Avenue and to a lesser
degree, on vacant land in Chigwell Road, and North View,
Hainault, or to improve sanitary conditions. In the two latter
cases as the land was owned by the Council the Town Clerk
took action to remove the trespassers.
As far as Woodford Avenue has been concerned, petitions
from local residents and meetings with officers of the Ministries
of Transport and Housing and Local Government have achieved
nothing. In addition to the most unsatisfactory conditions
existing which I enumerated in some detail in my last report,
the verge has become heavily infested with rats, attracted by
the amount of refuse and food littering the site. Efforts by the
rodent operative have had little effect.
Consideration is now being given to the provision of s
temporary site, and from the Public Health point of view the
sooner this is in operation and some control exercised over
these people the better. There is no doubt in my opinion that a
serious health hazard exists on this roadside verge, created of
course, by the itinerants, but which could quite easily effect
householders within the neighbourhood.