[Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Northampton County Borough.

Housing (<continued) Rehousing. The following shews the rehousing carried out during the year:— Persons Families Rehoused from individual unfit houses . 126 39 Rehoused from unfit Corporation owned houses . 49 15 Rehoused from Clearance area houses. 25 10 Totals. . 200 64 Repairs to Property. Table 5 (page 28) gives particulars of the work of the public health inspectors relative to housing. Property repairs are dealt with under the nuisance sections of the Public Health Act, 1936, 128 informal and 66 statutory notices being served. 10 informal and 35 statutory notices were outstanding at the end of 1960. Legal proceedings were resorted to on two occasions. In the first instance a house owner was given 56 days to carry out repairs. These repairs were not carried out and therefore a further summons was taken out against the owner. This time the house owner asked for and was granted 28 days to carry out the repairs, and the hearing was adjourned. Once again the owner failed to carry out the repairs and at the rehearing of the summons was fined £5 with £3 3s. Od. costs, and ordered to carry out the repairs. The repairs were completed before the adjourned hearing, when the Court granted an absolute discharge, and awarded the Cor¬ poration £2 2s. Od. costs. In the other case the house owner was ordered by the Magistrates to carry out the repairs within 56 days and was also ordered to pay £7 15s. Od. costs. Repairs had not been completed by the end of the year. Rent Act, 1957. Number of applications for Certificates of Disrepair . 6 Number outstanding from previous year .. 0 — 6 Number of applications withdrawn ... 0 6 Number of schedules of disrepair prepared . 6 Number of Certificates of Disrepair issued . 2 Number of Undertakings accepted .. 2 — 4 Number outstanding at end of year . 1 Number of Certificates of Disrepair cancelled during year... 1 Overcrowding. Cases of overcrowding continue to be brought to notice. There were 8 known cases, involving 53 persons, at the end of 1960, most of them being of a minor character when measured by legal standards (Section 77, Housing Act, 1957).