[Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Basingstoke R.D.C.

  • Basingstoke (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1970
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Basingstoke R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    21/30 (page 4)
    HOUSING ACTS continued o o .3 o Improvement and Standard Grants During cha year a further 42 iinproveraent grants. totalling £30,906. and 16 standard grants totalling £5,510o were approved. Although grants for the improvement of nearly 1,000 houses have been approved since they were introduced^ and this achievement must stand comparison with the most progressive rural districts in the country, there still remains a large number of dwellings likely to become subject to future applications* These grants, without a shadow of doubt,have played an import- ant part in raising general housing standards. The considerable proportion of your .Q;^ficers'’ time involved in dealing with owners' enquiries, inter- viewing architects and builders and advising applicants in the submission of schemes ,has proved worthwhile in realising the potential value of a substandard or unfit dwelling, as an improved housing unit. Slum Clearance During the year i- 6 houses were deraolished 3 houses awaited demolition 6 houses became subject to owners* formal undertakings. 72 houses were repaired as a result of formal and informal action by the .Council and its Officers. 2 cases of overcrowding came to the notice of the department during the year, and the families have since been housed by the Council. Housing Act, 1969 - Qualification Certificates 2 applications for Qualification Certificates were received and provisional approvals issued. CARAVANS AND CARAVAN SITES Two additional standings were provided on the Council's caravan site and both the access lane and service roads on the site were re-surfaced with tamacadam. Throughout the year, standings were fully occupied. On the private sices in the district, the demand for standings continued unabated and there is no doubt that a further large site could become fully occupied. This site would comply with the County Council policy for caravans, but in a rural area the establishment of such a site within a village is difficult to achieve. Sufficient land within the accepted village boundary must be found and the problem of adequate services then arises. It may well be impossible for the village school to accommodate the additional children and for the bus service to meet the extra demand. If all these problems can be overcome, the cost of site developiaent is the last formidable obstacle. Caravans now found on private sites are invariably provided with a small bathroom and the communal toilet block and laundry are now outdated. -4'