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60
DIRECTIONS
Under the provisions of the Housing Act, 1961, a local authority may give
Directions limiting the number of individuals who should occupy the house
having regard to the amenities available.
On the 21st December, 1966, this Council formally adopted the following
standards for assessing the maximum number of individuals who should live in
houses in multiple occupation.
"(a) Natural and Artificial Lighting
(i) There shall be provided and maintained in every occupied room a
window or windows with direct access to the external air capable of being
opened and having, where practicable, a total lighting area, exclusive of sash
or casement frames, equal to at least one-tenth of the floor area, provided
always that notwithstanding that the total lighting area may comply or exceed
the foregoing standard, the total natural illumination of the room shall in
all events be reasonable for the purposes for which the room is used.
(ii) There shall be provided and maintained suitable means for securing
adequate artificial lighting either by electricity or gas in each occupied
room, kitchen, bathroom and water-closet, and also on any staircase not being
a common staircase within the meaning of the Lighting of Staircase Byelaws.
(Common staircases are required to be lighted under these Byelaws).
(iii) There shall be provided and maintained wherever practicable, adequate
means of natural lighting of all staircases, landings, passages, halls and
lobbies, and in all circumstances where such adequate natural lighting cannot
be provided, adequate artificial lighting shall be provided as set out in (ii)
above.
(b) ventilation There shall be provided adequate means of ventilation
including permanent ventilation in every passage, room, water-closet compartment
and staircase. Every occupied room shall be provided with external
ventilation by window or equivalent controllable openings having a total
openable area equivalent to at least one-twentieth of the floor area.
(c) Water Supply and facilities for Disposal of Waste Water There shall be
provided and maintained within each letting a proper and sufficient supply of
water for drinking purposes under direct pressure from the mains of the
Metropolitan Water Board or other suitable source. There shall be provided
under every such water tap an adequate sink for domestic purposes with proper
means of carrying off waste water and discharging into the drainage system.
(d) Personal Washing Facilities In each letting there shall be provided
(elsewhere than on a staircase or landing) hot and cold water supply at a washhand
basin or at a sink fitted with a waste water pipe properly connected to the
drainage system. There shall be provided a fixed bath or shower constructed
in accordance with the relevant drainage Byelaws with separate piped and tapped
hot and cold water supplies in the ratio of two fixed baths or one fixed bath
and one shower to every 10 persons irrespective of age. Every fixed bath or
shower is to be in a separate compartment within the building not more than one
storey distant from any rooms occupied by the person or persons for whom it
is provided.
(e) Drainage and Sanitary Conveniences The premises shall be adequately
drained in accordance with the provisions of the relevant Drainage Byelaws.
Suitable and sufficient water-closet accommodation shall be provided and
maintained for the use of each family or person in occupation of the premises
not more than one storey distant from the part of the premises occupied by the
person for whose use it is intended. There shall be provided two water-closets