[Report 1967] / Medical Officer of Health, Durham City.

  • Durham (England). City Council.
Date:
1967
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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

    31/52 (page 29)
    Houses in Multiple Occupation. There has, in recent years, been a tendency for some of the larger type dwelling houses which become vacant from time to time to be purchased by persons who then relet the houses as bed sitter accommodation with communal use of kitchen, bathroom and toilets. Whilst there is a great need for this type of accommodation, and particularly so in a Imiversity town and commercial centre such as Durham City, it is a fact that in some of the larger towns this method of lettings, often in houses situated in previously good residential areas, has resulted in overcrowding and general lowering of housing standards. An inspection of a number of these multi-occupied houses by officers of this Department has shown that, generally, such houses are well maintained, have reasonably good facilities and appear to meet the requirements of the single people concerned. One matter which did cause the Department some concern, however, was that of possible fire hazards and an apparent lack of means of escape in the case of any such emergency. Section lO of the Housing Act, lf)01, deals with the provision of means of escape from fire in such houses and authorises service of notices .specifving those works which the local authority consider necessary and requiring execution of such works. In this connection the local authoiity are required, before service of any such notice, to consult with the Fire Authority. An approach was, therefore, made to the Chief Fire Officer and he agreed to have any properties which this Department considered presented fire hazards relative to means of escape inspected and to submit reports thereon. One such property was reported to the Chief Fire Officer in 1967 and a further list of properties is to be submitted early in 1968. The procedure adopted by this Department is to forward a copy of the Chief Fire Officer’s report to the owner of the house concerned together with a letter explaining why compliance with the contents of the report is important and also giving details of the statutory requirements.