[Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Stoke-upon-Trent Borough.

  • Stoke-on-Trent (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1970
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Stoke-upon-Trent Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    134/164 (page 130)
    HOUSING INSPECTIONS, RECONDITIONING, SLUM CLEARANCE, DEMOLITION AND CLOSURE OF UNFIT HOUSES, IMPROVEMENT OF HOUSES The programme submitted and approved by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in 1955, estimated a total number of unfit houses in this City to be 12,000 and it was proposed to deal with 6,000 of these within the first five years, ending 1959. As a result of these inquiries and action on individual unfit properties, 13,309 of these houses have been dealt with. To date 246 public and private inquiries have now been held in the City. During the year 1970, 10 clearance areas were submitted to the Ministry for confirmation. 26 new areas were submitted to the Committee. The demolition and clearance of the sites is continuing to work satisfactorily. During the year, 374 houses were demolished and the sites cleared. A new system has been commenced whereby when houses become vacant they are properly secured by bricking up the ground floor openings and taking out the outside W.C. until such time as the house can be demolished. This has prevented a considerable amount of vandalism and general nuisance to the people living in the neighbourhood. Work continues on Improvement Grants, and since the passing of the Act in 1949, a total of 6,706 grants have been completed out of 11,444 applications. It is regretted that more owners of tenanted houses do not make greater use of this financial assistance to effect improvements to existing housing accommodation. Under the Housing Act, 1969 grants for the improvement of houses have been considerably extended and owners of properties are being invited to take advantage of the extra allowances. The local authority have appointed an Improvement Grants Officer to visit and advise on what can be obtained in the way of financial aid for improvements. Under the Housing Act, 1964, Improvement Areas could be made whereby dwellings which are situated in an Improvement Area and are tenanted, can compulsorily be brought up to provide standard amenities. This has now been amended under the new Housing Act, 1969 whereby general Improvement Areas can be declared providing the Area is pre¬ dominantly residential and that the living conditions in the area ought to be improved by the improvement of the amenities. This includes the closing of streets, the making of open spaces, the planting of trees and the provision of car park arrangements. Two such Improvement Areas have been approved by the Local Authority. Families from 996 condemned houses were awaiting re-housing at the end of 1970.