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

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

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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

    32/68 (page 30)
    HOUSING The work in dealing with houses included in the Slum Clearance Programme continued with unabated vigour, and the greater part of action in this particular sphere has now been completed. It can be truthfully said that, in the strictest sense of the word, there are no Slums in the whole of this District. That is a satisfying thought, but one which should not give rise to complacency since so long as we human beings continue to occupy our “cubes” of bricks and mortar, so long will there be a need for constant endeavour in keeping such habitations in reasonable repair. For many years now, we in the Health Department have had complaints of disrepair and bad housing conditions thrust upon us by the tenants, to such an extent that there has been little opportunity to seek out those dwelling houses in need of repair and about which the tenant has remained silent. It may well be that we are now entering a phase where instead of having the “lamb brought to the slaughter” we should go out and catch the “lamb” ourselves. In other words, it seems that the time has arrived when we should be mindful of the provisions of Section 91 of the Housing Act, 1957, which makes it the duty of every Local Authority to consider housing conditions in their District, and for that purpose to review information which has been brought to their notice, either as a result of inspections or surveys etc. Tackling the problem of unfit houses may be done in either of two ways, that is to say, by Clearance Area or dealing with each individual house separately. In this District, the latter method is adopted and we have, therefore, no Clearance Areas, the tenants from such houses being rehoused by the Council. Naturally, tenants living in dilapidated houses are only too anxious to be rehoused in homes having modern amenities and it is of little solace to them to be informed that before they are granted tenancy of a new house, the requisite Housing Act procedure must be carried out. Of the eighty-nine houses represented as unfit under Section 11 of the Housing Act during the last two years, fifty-three houses eventually had Demolition Orders placed on them and ten Closing Orders were made where it was considered inexpedient to have the property demolished. Undertakings not to relet were accepted in respect of the remaining houses. In some cases, the acceptance of Undertakings does not necessarily imply that the houses will cease to exist. Indeed, it is noticeable that when such houses have become vacant the Landlord sells with vacant possession and the new owner of the property,