Manual on unfit houses and unhealthy areas / Ministry of Health.

Date:
1919
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Manual on unfit houses and unhealthy areas / Ministry of Health. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/122 (page 6)
    CHAPTER Ii.—GENERAL POLICY. 1. It is proposed in this chapter to. set out the general policy to be followed in® dealing with unfit houses and unhealthy areas. Survey. 2. The first duty of the Local Authority will be to undertake a survey of their district. The report of the survey has to be made in the form which has already been sent to Local Authorities. ~ This form, duly completed, has to be sent to the Housing Commissioner of the Region not later than the 3lst October next (that is, within three months ofjthe passing of the Housing Act). It is fully recognised that the time is short for anything approaching an accurate and detailed survey, and that in many instances only estimates of some matters can be given. But care should be taken that estimates are reasonably adequate and are founded on as reliable and as broad a basis as possible. 3. Equally important is it that Local Authorities and their officials should not rest content with this first survey. The staff of the Local Authority should, as required by the Housing Acts (section 17(1) /09)*, carry out a continuous survey of their district. The result should be periodically reported in a clear manner to the Local Authority, and a summary should be included in the annual report of the Medical Officer of Health. The report should include records of the incidence of disease and death in the different areas. As an aid to the clear comprehension of the situation, it is suggested that the conditions should be shown by different colours on a large scale map of the district so that members of the Local Authority and others may readily see what are the circumstances of the district. | | Proposals to be submitted. 4. Having ascertained what conditions need to be remedied the next step is to prepare and to submit schemes for this purpose. With the survey which is to be reported by the 31st October, the Local Authority are required to indicate their remedial proposals. They will not, however, be expected to submit these in more than broad outline. If they are in a position at this stage to forward detailed schemes, they should do so. During the next nine months, however (that is before the 3lst July, 1920), the Local Authority are expected to submit definite proposals for dealing with unfit houses and unhealthy areas in their district. : This should be done in three stages. In the {three months ending the dist January, 1920, definite proposals should be submitted for part of their area ; during the next three months, definite proposals for another part; and during the succeeding three months (ending the 31st July, 1920) definite proposals for the remain- ing part. In this way, the Local Authority will be able to proceed with the work of preparation gradually, and the examination of the proposals by the Ministry’s staff will be facilitated. . | . 5. Detailed schemes need be submitted to the Ministry only for those “parts of the Local Authority’s proposals which require the Ministry’s sanction. Thus the detailed proposals for dealing with unfit houses need not be communicated to the Ministry. On the other hand, schemes for slum clearances or any proposals involving the borrowing of money must be submitted. To obtain the financial assistance which is available for slum clearances, Local Authorities must comply With the conditions, which are set out in chapter XI., page 23. | 7 * For convenience of reference, the various Housing Acts are indicated simply by the year. Thus section 17(1)/09 means subsection (1) of section 17 of the Housing and. Town Planning Act, &c., 1909. The Housing (Inspection of District) Regulations, 1910, are given in appendix I.