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80
Part I. deals with unhealthy areas on a large scale, the
County Council being the authority for putting it in
force. The Medical Officer of Health of any parish may,
however, make a representation as regards an unheathy
area in his district to the County Council.
Part II. deals more particularly with buildings unfit for human
habitation and obstructive buildings, and under it the
Vestry is in Islington the local authority. The Medical
Officer of health is bound to make a representation to
the local authority if any dwelling house appears to him
so dangerous or injurious to health as to be unfit for
human habitation, and any four or more householders
living near an unhealthy house may set the Medical
Officer of Health in motion. The local authority is
moreover bound to cause inspections of its district to
be made periodically, and upon such a representation as
is before alluded to or upon information given the local
authority if any house appears to them to be unfit for
human habitation is bound to take proceedings for closing
it. This part of the Act contains numerous clauses
directing subsequent proceedings on the part of the local
authority, and gives it power as a last resource to order
the demolition of such house or houses. Power is also
given to the local authority to deal in a similar manner
with what are termed obstructive buildings, by which is
to be understood buildings which although they may
not themselves be unfit for human habitation either stop
ventilation or conduce to make other buildings unfit
for human habitation. The local authority is further
empowered to prepare schemes for the improvement
of ill-ventilated or badly arranged blocks of houses
where the areas affected are insufficient in size to be
worthy the attention of the County Council under
Part I. of the Act. Then follow provisions for compensation
and for action by the County Council should
any local authority under this part fail or neglect to do
its duty.