[Report 1946] / Medical Officer of Health, Chelmsford R.D.C.

  • Chelmsford (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1946
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1946] / Medical Officer of Health, Chelmsford R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    41/72 (page 39)
    RURAL HOUSING SURVEY {under Minhtry of Health Circular 64/44) based on the recommendations of the Third Report of the Rural Housing Sub-Committee OF THE Central Housing Advisory Committee The Rural Housing Survey in this District was completed in December, 1946. It had been initiated to provide a record of the condition of every working class house in the district as a basis for a programme of improvement of rural housing con- ditions to be carried out over a period of years. The survey had been commenced in July, 1945, and occupied the whole time of two assistants for the next eighteen months. For the purposes of the survey, all dwellings having a rateable value of £20 or less have been visited, the total number of these dwellings being 7,365. The categories in which the houses are classified are as follows :— ]. Satisfactory in all respects. 2. Minor defects. 3. Requiring repair, structural alteration or improvement. 4. Appropriate for reconditioning under the Housing (Rural Workers) Acts. 5. Unfit for habitation and beyond repair at reasonable cost. One of the objects of the survey was to enable local authori- ties to draw up a long-term programme of reconditioning work. In view of the present shortage of building labour and materials and the concentration upon new houses, it is not at present practicable to put this into effect. However, a considerable amount of “ follow up ” work has been carried out by the Sani- tary Inspectors where the survey has revealed the existence of serious defects. It will be observed from the following table that 4,339 p operties (or nearly 60 per cent of the total visited) have been pi ’ced in either category 1 or category 2. Little or no action will be necessary in regard to these properties, which consist mainly of houses owned by the local authority and those built