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9
System, the roofs have been repaired, dustbins
provided, and all wood and iron work painted. The
inside of those buildings has also been repaired, and
they are now much more habitable than they were
for many years.
I reported on former occasions on the A merican
Buildings in Broad Street and I made again in
February a report, in which I stated that the eight
buildings in their present condition were unfit for
human habitation. A notice was served on the
owner to put them in a habitable state. The
notice was withdrawn, as the owner promised to
pull down 5 cottages and to erect other buildings
within 6 months from Lady Day, 1898. For the
other 3 cottages he asked for 12 months' delay.
Plans of 4 new shops to be erected on the site of
5 of those cottages have been submitted and
approved, but the work has not yet been proceeded
with, and four of the cottages are still inhabited.
The cottages in Cranmer Place were several
times inspected. Although improvements in the
footpath and in the back-yards were made by the
owner, nuisances were repeatedly found, which
were caused by leaky water pipes, damp walls,
defective W.C.'s and flushing arrangements, and
dilapidated floors. The owner's attention was
called to these defects and he had the necessary
work carried out. Those buildings have however,
a dead wall in front, so high as to shut out light
and seriously interfere with ventilation, and no
effectual remedy is possible with the present buildings
remaining as they are.
Several houses in School-house Lane were
found in a dilapidated condition. After notice on
the owner the necessary repairs were carried out.