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32
Conditions were such that it was extremely difficult to secure
compliance with the notices. Shortage of materials and labour, the
restrictive conditions under which building licences were issued and
the complication of determining which of the defects in property
were the result of war damage and which of ordinary deterioration
all added enormously to the complexity of the problem.
Ministry of Health Circular 171/46 had the effect of restricting
the issue of building licences to certain urgent works, including work
to comply with sanitary notices. This caused owners and builders
who wished to carry out work of their own volition to approach the
Department with long specifications of works required, asking for
notices to be served so that building licences could be obtained. All
these specifications were checked carefully, as only items which
constituted nuisances could be included in the notices served.
The restrictions on building materials were such that, even to
carry out minor repairs up to a cost which did not involve obtaining
a building licence, it was found impossible to obtain materials until
a certificate of essentiality was granted by this Department. The
requirements of these certificates had to be checked on the premises
in many instances.
War damage had resulted in reductions of rates and rent being
made in respect of numbers of premises, and as the necessary repairs
were carried out either by the Council's contractors or by builders
employed by the owners and the full rateable assessment restored,
owners applied for certificates of fitness under the provisions of the
Landlord and Tenant (War Damage) (Amendment) Act, 1941, in
order to claim full rentals. Most of these applications involved
several visits and necessitated considerable correspondence before
the certificates could be granted.
In addition to these factors, the housing problem became more
insistent. Members of the armed forces were returning to civilian
life and newly-married couples, unable to find separate accommodation,
went to live with their parents or other relations, thus creating
overcrowding and its accompanying features and giving rise to
further complaints and more work for the Department.
Demolition and clearance of war-damaged property continued
during the year and, in accordance with the practice of the Department,
the disused drains were sealed off as the demolitions and
clearances made the work possible; 218 premises were dealt with
during the year in this respect.
The condition of bomibed sites in the district was a source of
anxiety both as regards nuisances caused by the deposit of domestic
and other refuse thereon and in respect of potential rat infestation
arising from the sites. Offensive refuse was cleared from the sites
when conditions made it obvious that removal was an urgent matter,