View report page

32
under consideration the question of the construction of underground
buildings in their borough. It was pointed out that
plans for new buildings had to be submitted to the London County
Council for approval under the Building Acts, and to the Local
Authority for approval so far as drainage work was concerned,
but no approval was required before constructing basement rooms
which might be used as sleeping rooms.
The Council decided to support the following resolutions
passed by the Holborn Borough Council :—
(a) That a communication be addressed to the Minister of Health, urging him
to promote legislation requiring architects and others proposing to construct
basement rooms for sleeping purposes to obtain the approval of the Local
Authority before the construction of such rooms.
(b) That a copy of the foregoing resolution be forwarded to the Metropolitan
Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee and to the Councils of all the Metropolitan
Boroughs and the larger provincial towns, asking them to take similar action.
Underground Bakehouses.
At their meeting in May, 1930, the Council had before them
a report that the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee
had had their attention drawn to the fact that there was no provision
in the Factory and Workshop Acts and Regulations requiring
notice to be given by the occupier or owner of an underground
bakehouse to the Local Authority when structural alterations were
made to existing premises used for such purpose, although it was
necessary for notification to be given to the London County Council
under the London Building Acts. It was pointed out that owing
to no notification being given to the local authority of alterations,
underground bakehouses had, since such certification, ceased to
be used and were now being used for other purposes. As there was
no power to remove from the register of underground bakehouses
premises which had been certified as fit for use as bakehouses, the
local authority was powerless to deal with the matter.
The Joint Committee had had consultations with the District
Surveyors' Association upon the matter, and as a result thereof
had adopted the following arrangements :—
(i) Each Borough Council to be asked to supply to the
Secretary of the District Surveyors' Association a list of the
premises included in each Council's register of underground
bakehouses.
(ii) After receipt of such list the District Surveyors
would notify the Borough Council concerned when structural
alterations were proposed.
The Joint Committee had also addressed a communication
to the London County Council, urging that a clause be included in
the next General Powers Bill providing that in London any