[Report 1957] / Medical Officer of Health, Witham U.D.C.

  • Witham (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1957
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1957] / Medical Officer of Health, Witham U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/44 (page 18)
    proceeded to remedy disrepair on learning that tenants were considering exercising their right to apply for Certificates, Notwithstanding this, it has been found that in many instances tenants have accuepted increased rents without demur, who could rightly have challenged the increases on the score of disrepair. In some cases this was due to lack of knowledge of the Act, but in some to a natural reluctance to start a legal quarrel with the landlord. In yet other cases, landlords have demurred from imposing the increased rentals because of inability or reluctance to face the outl^ necessary to remedy the disrepair. As the Act is a landlord and tenant measure, the local authority has neither the duty nor the right to atten^Dt to rectify these apparent defects in its operation. Apart from dealing impartially with such applications as are received, the Council can only give information to enquirers and publicity on the general operation of the Act, However, the Council has comprehensive interests and duties under other legislation in regard to housing conditions in the district,! and the new rents now chargeable will justify greater activity in requiring the ' reconditioning of unfit dwellings. In particular, they will rectify to a great extent the ineffectiveness since the war of ’’reasonable cost” valuations under the Housing Act, 1936, These, being based on pre-war rentals, have until now borne no relation to current property values and repair costs and have led to the anomaly that useful dwellings, which should not reasonably be demolished, I nevertheless could not be ’’reasonably” repaired, j / The following Table summarises action taken in connection with the Inspection of dwellinghouses during the year 1957:- : 1, Inspection of dwellinghouses during the year: (a) Total number inspected for housing defects (under Public Health or Housing Acts) ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• • (b) Number found to be in a state so dangerous or injurious to health as to be unfit for human habitation . (c) Number (exclusive of those referred to under sub-heading (b)) found not to be in all respects reasonably fit for human habitation , 2, Remedy of defects during the year without service of formal notices (a) Number of houses rendered fit in consequence of informal action by Local Authority or its Officers . (b) Number of other defective conditions remedied after informal action by Local Authority of its Officers . 3. Action under Statutory Powers - Housing Acts, 1936-57: (a) (b) (c) (d) (c) Number of houses in respect of which notices were served requiring ^^3 ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• Number of dwellinghouses rendered fit after service of formal notice Number of separate tenements or underground rooms in respect of which Closing Orders were made . Number of dwellinghouses in respect of which Demolition Orders were made ••• ,,, Nmber of undertakings accepted • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • t • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (18) 17211 l| 87ii ■ 65^ 95 1C 1C': Ni]I ] NiJ' i