[Report 1967] / Medical Officer of Health, Godalming Borough.

  • Godalming (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1967
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1967] / Medical Officer of Health, Godalming Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    COMPULSORY IMPROVEMENTS. Under powers contained in the Housing Act 19&4, the Council can require owners, in certain circumstances to improve their houses. Action to secure compulsory improvement of tenanted dwellings can be initiated in two ways. The Local Authority can either declare an area to be an Improvement Area or a tenant of a house can request the Local Authority to enforce the provision of amenities in the house he occupies. The procedure for enforcing the provision of amenities, although similar in each case, in long and complicated. At the beginning of 1966 it was estimated that 690 hous es in the Borough required improvement; 250 of these are Council owned, 90 are unfit houses, leaving a total of approximately 350 privately owned houses still to be dealt with. Although several tenants have requested the Council to use the compulsory powers available under the 19^4 Act, it has not been necessary so far, to deal with these requests on a formal basis, the object having been achieved by informal negotiations with the owners concerned. Originally four areas were surveyed on a house-to-house basis and the effect has been to improve all but a few of the houses in these areas and efforts are continuing to complete those that are still outstanding. The aim is to secure improvements to all structurally sound houses within ten years; at the current rate of progress of voluntary applicants and the use of compulsory powers where necessary to obtain individual house improvement on the application of the tenant, the target should be achieved well within this period. INSPECTION AND REPAIR During the year a total of 48 houses were repaired and made fit as a result of informal or formal procedure under the Housing & Public Health Acts resulting from inspections made following complaints by tenants or surveys and inspections carried out in conjunction with other work. One application for a Certitiface of Disrepair under the Rent Act 1957 was received. Year by Year the number of privately owned houses let to statutory tenants grows less and less as does the number of complaints concerning structural defects in these houses. In the main, the statutory tenants are in the older age-groups and are content to preserve the 'status quo' because of comparatively cheap rents even though the house they occupy may fall well below acceptable modern standards of repair, comfort and convenience. HOUSES IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION. During the year four houses were inspected under the provisions of the Housing Act 1961 and informal notices served requiring various repair works, the provision of additional services and facilities and works to provide proper means of escape in case of fire. In one particularly bad case, the Council re-housed one sub-tenant and the remaining lettings became vacant and the house is to be sold for single family occupation; one other house became vacant and was sold for single family occupation, in the remaining two houses the works specified under the notice were completed satisfactorily and no formal action was required. In all, there are 25 houses known to have come under this category and these are kept under observation because of frequent changes of tenancy etc. CARAVAN SITES AND CONTROL OF DEVELOPMENT ACT i960. Four licences have been granted authorising occupiers of land to use land as a caravan site. Three licences authorise the use of