Leicester City Council Health Report, 1930. pp 32-33
The most important event of the year under review, so far as the future policy of the country in regard to municipal housing is concerned, was undoubtedly the passing of the Housing Act of 193O, sometimes referred to as the " Greenwood " Act, to distinguish it from the Act of 1924, or the " Wheatley " Act. This Act was only agreed to after very careful consideration on the part of various representative bodies, and it must be regarded as a sincere attempt to meet and overcome various difficulties experienced by local authorities in attempting to solve the slum problem. It might well have been called a " Slum Abolition" Act rather than a " Housing " Act. It goes so far in the direction of making it possible to provide municipal houses for those most needing them, viz.: the overcrowded poor families living in the slums, that it may well be regarded as the " Slum Dwellers' Charter."
One of the most notable features of the Act is the provision for dealing with the slums by means of entirely new procedure " Improvement Area " procedure, as distinct from " Clearance Area " procedure.
The new procedure is described as follows:
" Where a local authority .... are satisfied as respects any area in their district that the housing conditions in that area are dangerous or injurious Is to the health of the inhabitants by reason of the disrepair or sanitary defects of dwelling houses therein, and also by reason either of overcrowding in the area or of the bad arrangement of the houses or of the narrowness or bad arrangement of the streets, and that those conditions can be effectively remedied, without the demolition of all the buildings in the area by--
(i) the demolition or repair, as the circumstances may require, of those dwelling houses which are unfit for habitation;
(ii) The purchase .... of any land .... for opening out the area....;
(iii) the abatement of overcrowding in the area; the authority may .... pass a resolution declaring the area to be an improvement area."
Before passing such a resolution the authority must satisfy the Minister of Health that the size of the area is such that the housing conditions therein can be effectively remedied within a reasonable period, and that suitable accommodation for persons of the working class who will be displaced will be provided in advance of requirements.
Having passed the necessary resolution, notice of it has to be published in the local papers, naming a place where a map of the area can be seen. Further, a copy of the resolution has to he transmitted to the Minister, together with an estimate of the number of persons who will be displaced.
Having passed the necessary resolution declaring an area to be an improvement area the authority shall, as soon as may be---
(i) serve notices on the owners in the cases of all unfit houses requiring the execution of all necessary work to render the houses fit, or, alternatively, the demolition thereof;
(ii) proceed to purchase any land required for the opening out of the area, unless satisfied that the owners will them- selves undertake such opening out; and
(iii) make and enforce special bye-laws for preventing and abating overcrowding, and generally for securing the improvement of the housing conditions and the subsequent maintenance of a proper standard.
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