C(68) 67
C O P Y NO.
1
)
3
5th A p r i l , I960
CABINET
THE OLDER h o u s e s (SCOTLAND): D R A F T " t?HIT"E P A P E R Note by the Sgcretarjr of State f o r Scotland The attached White P a p e r contains m y p r o p o s a l s f o r tackling
the p r o b l e m s posed by the o l d e r housing stock in Scotland.
A l o n g with
the White P a p e r by the M i n i s t e r ox Housing and L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t and
the S e c r e t a r y of State f o r W a l e s ( C ( 6 8 ) 6 6 ) , it has b e e n c o n s i d e r e d in the
M i n i s t e r i a l C o m m i t t e e on Housing.
2.
The f i n a n c i a l i m p l i c a t i o n s have been d i s c u s s e d with the T r e a s u r y
and a g r e e m e n t r e a c h e d as t o the l i k e l y c o s t .
I am c o n s i d e r i n g with
the C h a n c e l l o r of the E x c h e q u e r how the expenditure can be fitted into
the p r o g r a m m e f o r 1970-71 (the f i r s t y e a r affected) and subsequent y e a r s .
3.
I s e e k the C a b i n e t ' s a g r e e m e n t t o publication of the White P a p e r ,
subject to any drafting adjustments which a r e found t o be n e c e s s a r y , f o r
e x a m p l e , on f u r t h e r d e t a i l e d c o m p a r i s o n of the E n g l i s h and Scottish
drafts,
4.
Though a s e p a r a t e Scottish White P a p e r i s n e c e s s a r y , it is important that both should be published at the same t i m e . W.R.
Scottish O f f i c e , S. W . 1.
5th A p r i l , 1968
TEE OLDER HOUSH5
111 SCOTLANDs
,
A PLAN OF ACTION
INTRODUCTION
I
1.
This paper outlines the Government's proposals f o r l e g i s l a t i o n
\ a older houses i n Scotland.
The s o c i a l and human consequences of t h e i r
i
I $resent condition are d i s t r e s s i n g l y apparent i n many of our towns.
; f these houses must be "cleared away and replaced;:
;
,. proved to an acceptable standard.
j je changed.
Some
others must be
To make t h i s possible the lav/ must
But an Act of Parliament can be only a springboard f o r the
i -/don which i s required and w i l l not be e f f e c t i v e without new e f f o r t s by a l l
1
concerned - Government, l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s , housing associations and p r i v a t e
3
j jsners.
The Government intend to provide wider powers and now f i n a n c i a l
incentives, so that l o c a l authorities and owners can play t h e i r p a r t .
2.
In considering t h e i r proposals the Government have received
substantial help from the r e p o r t , "Scotland's Cider Houses"
v
^, published
blast year, of a sub-committee of the Scottish Housing Advisory Committee,
-under the chairmanship of Mr. J . 3 . Cpllingv/orth, formerly Ranter LooUrrer
[in Urban Studies at the University of Glasgow and now D i r e c t o r of the Centre
for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Birmingham.
The
sub-commitoe considered that the condition of almost 300,000 of the older
louses was so bad that they ought to be replaced quickly - within ten years
r i f possible - and drew attention t o the need f o r the r e h a b i l i t a t i o n and
approvement of at l e a s t 200,000 more.
This means that the number of
j older houses f o r which e f f e c t i v e action needs to be taken or planned in the
[near future i s half a m i l l i o n , or 30 per cent of Scotland's t o t a l stock.
3.
Since the report was published, f u l l e r information has become
I
j available from the results of a survey, published as "Scottish Housing in 1965"
about 350,000 houses, o n e - f i f t h of the Scottish t o t a l , do not have a f i x e d
i
5 A h or shower.
Nearly one-quarter lack a hot water supply to bath, wash hand
"-sin and sink.
Libre than 200,000 have no internal -water c l o s e t .
Even of
ioso which are thought to have a useful l i f e of more than 15 y e a r s , 9 per cent
80
not have a f i x e d bath and 5 per cent have no internal water c l o s e t ,
( l ) Her Majesty s Stationery O f f i c e , 1967.
( 2 ) Government Social Survey on behalf of the Scottish Development
Department 1967.
1
4,
Ii
o U S
e3
Other evidence ahout the highly unsatisfactory state of the older
is provided by the recently-published book, "A Profile of G-lasgow
Housing 1965'
I Census.
and by the material now being derived from the i960 Sample
It is now clear that the lack of amenities is in many ways more
I striking in Glasgow houses than in the Scottish stock generally.
Many of the
1 houses in the city are tenements, and no less than one-half of them have a floor
1 ea of less than 500 square feet.
The information flowing from the 1 966
5r
j Sample Census details the facilities available in the housing stock in each
I local authority area.
5,
forward.
Merely to have so much information about our houses is in itself a step
Constructive thinking has often been inhibited by the absence of accurate information;
much of the information we have had - based for instance on
1 local authority returns of houses which were classified by them as unfit for
ymm habitation - is now seen to have been misleading.
I
6.
As the Cullingworth sub-committee emphasised, however, statistics
icne cannot adequately describe the problem.
Many people are forced to live : in appalling conditions: the neglect and dilapidation of the common closes and
I staircases and the back courts have often overwhelmed the good intentions of
i individual householders. I
7,
The policy underlying the proposals now put forward is that more should
h done year by year to replace those houses which have outlived their usefulness
and to rehabilitate and improve those which have a further useful life.
8.
The Government consider that worthwhile results will be achieved only
If the local housing authorities accept that they have an important role in their
jjiistricts, not only as the providers of houses for letting, but also as the : :;-ordinators of all efforts directed to securing satisfactory housing for the P*le community.
There will be a role for housing associations, and much will pend on the co-operation of owners, factors and residents, but the local :
I Wising authorities must take the lead in driving the policy forward in each -strict.
Legislation can give them better powers, better techniques and A -Uer financial arrangements.
They alone can provide the drive without which
(3) University of G-lasgow Social and Economic Studies: Occasional Paper No. 8, Oliver and Boyd 1968. s
*
:
2
(j.
;
8
t o g e t h e r
j
tor
h a v e
s m a j o r
are
n
g o n e
t h a t
f e w
t o
give
o f
t h e
n e e d s
b e
v e r y
n
p a r t i c u l a r ,
s o m e
n e w
t o
%
t h e
e x i s t i n g
l e a d
a n d
b l o c k s
lost
a l l
:fthe
f i r s t
n o t
feist
o n l y
p e r
25
l a t e s t
!
i n
i f f i c u l t
' S a l l
t o
snot
de
t o
w o r l d
w a r .
T h e
b e c a u s e
c e n t
b e
t h e r e
o f
t h e
w h e r e
o f
n
a r e
t h e i r
b u l k ,
d e m o l i s h .
a c c o m m o d a t e d
p r o v i d e
h o u s e s
w o r k .
w h e n
f o r
j
i s
.
t h e
a l l
n o w
t h e
n o w
-
s
l
t h e
o f
t h e
p o s ? s -
t h e m
i s
f o r
t h e
w h a t
i t
h o u s i n g
l e s s
w a s
s t o c k ,
i m p o r t a n t
n e c e s s a r y
t o
m e t ;
a n d
t o
t a k e n
b e
o n l y
t h e
a
l
g i v e
l
a b o u t
l o c a l
a u t h o r i t y
e s s e n t i a l . ,
w h i c h
a r e
-
a r e
o f
h o u s i n g
p r o b l e m .
l a n d s c a p e
o f
r e d e v e l o p e d ;
f a m i l i e s
i n
p r o p o r t i o n
t h e y
t h e m ,
s i m i l a r
a u t h o r i t y
l a r g e r
t h e
t o w n s ,
o u t b r e a k
i m p o r t a n c e
400,000
a c c o m m o d a t e
a c h i e v e
w i t h
T h e i r
a l l ,
o f
o r
t h e m
i s
s e v e r e .
w h i c h
a m o n g
o u r
s p e c i a l
t h e
m o s t
i n
e n d e d
a b o u t
b e c a u s e
t h e y
a f f e c t e d
a r e
S c o t t i s h
b u t
b e
n e e d
r e h a b i l i t a t i o n ,
e v e r
t o
p r i v a t e
S c o t l a n d ,
t h a t
t h e
o r
m a t t e r s
c e n t u r y
l o c a l
l
n
t h e
f r o m
o f
t h e
a n d
T E I ^ B K T J g
m a t e r i a l
i s
i
w h i c h
O F
c a n n o t
a r e a
t
t h a n
i
m e a n
b e c o m e
d e c i s i o n s
w i d e s p r e a d
T h e
h a v e
t h e s e
B e c a u s e
t h e
i n c r e a s e s
m o r e
h a v e
o f
l e s s e n
r e p l a c e m e n t
p r o b l e m s
r e d e v e l o p m e n t
s t a n d a r d
f u t u r e
t h e y
m a n y
h o u s i n g
c l e a r
a r e a ,
i n
h a l f
s t o c k
w h i c h
a n d
d i f f e r e n t
f e a t u r e
t h e
s o
t o t a l
t h e
d o e s
P R O B L E M
p r o b l e m s
o w n e r s h i p
l i v i n g
d e v e l o p m e n t
i
i t
b y
n o t
h o u s e s
a n d
h o u s i n g
b u t
O n
o f
o f
f u t u r e ,
r i g h t
h e a r t
b o d i e s
d o e s
c o - o p e r a t i o n
s t r i k i n g
b u i l t
c o m p a c t
-th m o d e r n
t h e
w e r e
t o w n s
m u l t i p l e
a
t h e
t h e m
B e c a u s e
11.
"i
o f
f o r m
t h e
p u b l i c
p e r i o d
w h i c h
S P E C I A L
a t
i s
450,000
s o m e
s h o r t a g e
S c o t l a n d ,
h o u s e s .
s e c u r e
a r e
i f
b u i l t
o t h e r
f u r t h e r
o f
i t
n e e d s
o l d
" b y
e i t h e r
s
h o u s e s ,
c o - o r d i n a t e d
T e n e m e n t s
s t o n e
p a r t s
s t o c k
T J j E
10,
p o s t - w a r
t o
h a v e
a b s o l u t e
t h e
e x i s t i n g
b e
t h e
i n
i n
c o n s i d e r a t i o n
t r e a t m e n t
t h e
b u i l t
a c t i v i t y
I
b u i l d i n g
m u s t
200,000
i n
a g o .
t h e
a u t h o r i t i e s
r e d u c e
h o u s i n g
n e c e s s a r y
b e f o r e
i i e r e s t s
a
f a r
y e a r s
l o c a l
n e a r l y
a c t i v i t y
r e n e w i n g
.^fiil
t h e
c o n t r i b u t i o n
s t i l l
isis
;
o f
a
iiie
3
w i t h
a u t h o r i t y
,1
1*5
1945,
S i n c e
m u s t
a r e
c o n s t r u c t e d
t h e y
s o
a r e
m a n y
m o r e o v e r ,
d u r i n g
e x t r e m e l y
f a m i l i e s
d e n s i t i e s
r e h o u s e
t h e
a l o n g
t h o s e
t h e y
a n d
w h o
m u s t
p e r i o d
o f
b e
t h e
i n
9 Q
1
-j2.
Sflstly.
f
The alternative, to improve the tenements, may he difficult and
The small size of most of the houses, and the number of very small
1 houses, makes it difficult to provide amenities, such as bathrooms, within
-lie existing outer walls.
Extensions built by conventional means would be -rohlbitively expensive, and prefabricated techniques have not yet been sufficiently developed to hold much promise for the foreseeable future.
So
I it say be impossible to provide all modern amenities without displacing some households when the improvement is achieved;;
houses on one storey into two.
for example, by converting three The structure of the tenements is old and often in disrepair, and the environment in which the blocks stand is often ansatisfactory.
Because of the difficulties, little improvement work has been undertaken in recent years. i3.
It is, however, important that the improvement of tenements should not be written off as being too difficult or too costly, especially as to replace within a reasonable period all which are unsatisfactory is likely to be impracticable.,
Some limitation of the range of the improvement work done ^ould enable the cost to be kept down.
The improved houses would generally be smaller than houses now being built, but by providing good accomi'noda.tion fcr smaller households they would meet the needs of a section of the community whose housing conditions have often been a particular problem.
Studies of the technique of limited improvement are in hand. 14.
One of the difficulties In the past has been the high level of
incidental repair costs.
A survey carried out recently of a sample of
typical tenements in Rutheiglen indicated that the repair costs which need
arise with limited improvement schemes was not so heavy as had sometimes been
imagined.
Repair costs arising from the type of improvement work now proposed
should not be a formidable obstacle to progress,..
'i5.
While it is hoped to develop centrally some techniques which will
be of help to local authorities and private owners, it is clear that the
auastion whether full or limited improvement of any particular Scottish
tenements is justified on economic or other grounds, or is the only way of
1 securing tolerable housing conditions within a reasonable period, must he
:
neighed against the other choices.
There is no alternative to considering
I in each instance whether the best treatment is replacement or improvement,
A^W^BASISj;0R LOCAL ACTION
16.
Because of the need for thorough consideration of what is the best
! treatment in each instance, the Government consider that the treatment of older
j houses must be planned for often quite large areas within each local authority's
district.
I
Where replacement is needed, a procedure for clearance is already
set out in the Housing (Scotland) Acts, but few local authorities use it;
aany appear to rehouse tenants from unsatisfactory houses when they qualify for
I other reasons, and to classify the houses in question as unfit only after they
J have become vacant, rather than to plan the clearance of areas of unfit housing
and to rehouse the tenants as a necessary consequence.
In some instances the
reason is that the local authority considers the statutory provisions to be
unsatisfactory.
The Housing Acts also include a procedure, first Introduced
in 1964, for local authorities to define improvement areas within their
districts and to have improvement wort carried out, if necessary compulsorily,
within them; but only three authorities have endeavoured to make any real use
I
of the procedure and all have run into difficulty, mainly because of its
I
cumbersome and protracted nature,
17.
The Government's aim is to remove obstacles to faster progress and
I accordingly it is proposed to simplify and to alter the procedures relating to clearance and to improvement so as to make them more suitable and effective, and also to assimilate them to each other since, after an area
has been considered 1 as a whole, it may well be decided that part of it should he dealt with by
I
clearance and part by improvement, and the local authority should be able to
I
proceed accordingly.
18.
The beginning of the whole procedure must however be to identify areas j which require treatment of one sort or the other.
The report "Scotland's
Older Houses" recommended that for purposes such as this there should be a
statutory standard of "tolerability" which should depend largely on objective
-onsiderations, such as the provision within the house of a sink provided with sotH cold and hot water, and a W.C., but which would also include tests ^quiring the exercise of some judgment, for example, whether the house is free from damp and has adequate ventilation and lighting.
The Government agree ;bhsrtj in Scottish conditions a statutory standard would tie a desirable starting point lor jhese procedures, and propose that the legislation should introduce suitable -revisions to define the statutory standard and to enable local authorities to initiate appropriate action in relation to houses which do not come up to that standard, FASTER ClElIal-TCB 19.
The annual rate of slum clearance in Scotland in recent years has improved steadily as follows:­
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
12,085
12,058
14,392
15,534
16,650
19,087
These figures are encouraging as far as they go, but fall far short of the
average of 30,000 a year required to meet the recommendation in paragraph 2 above,,
Determined efforts must be made to increase the rate of clearance, and local
authorities must use a greater proportion of their available houses (both
those newly-built and those becoming available for re-letting) specifically for
the purpose of enabling unsatisfactory houses to be closed.
20,
Following the proposal in paragraph 18, that future procedures should
stem from the identification of areas requiring treatment in accordance with
anew statutory standard of "tolerability", the procedures for talcing
unsatisfactory houses out of use will no longer be related to the "unfitness"
criteria now set out in section 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1966, which
iiave proved to be unsuited to Scottish conditions
a
When a house is not up
to the "tolerable" standard, the local authority will not be obliged to take action to have the house closed or demolished,,
As already indicated, the local authorities will be given powers to take various kinds of action in regard to houses falling below the statutory standard.
But the intention is that the authorities should be placed under a general obligation to exercise the powers 2. 3 5
1,5 soon as practicable, and that the Secretary of State should be able to
HAiuire
local authorities to take specified types of action in areas defined
Ihim.
21,
f
Another factor which has been delaying progress with clearance is the
j j B p e n s a t i o n
-rthority.
which is payable when an unfit house is acquired by a local
Many owners who object to clearance proposals do so because they
Arc dissatisfied with the compensation they will get if their house is classified
?s unfit.
The present basis of compensation is the site value or the market
H value of the unfit house, whichever is the less, subject to the proviso that an
oaier-occupier cannot get less than the gross annual value of the house.
The
j-jinderlving principle, namely that an unfit house no longer has any value as a
1 place to live in, has been followed for fifty years and there is no reason for
'J departing from it now.
But clearance is likely to affect an increasing number
1 of owner-occupiers and it seems right that the proviso which at present recognises
the special hardship which they suffer when their house is acquired should be j replaced by some rather less limited provision.
The Government accordingly
i propose to introduce new arrangements, which are set out in detail in the next
t paragraph.
22,
(l) The owner-occupier of a house which is the subject of ­
(a) a closing order or a demolition order under Part II of the
Housing (Scotland) Act i 9 6 0 or a declaration of unfitness
order under 8schedule 2 to the Land Compensation (Scotland)
Act 1 9 6 3 made, or
(b) a compulsory purchase order under Part II of the Housing
(Scotland) Act 1 9 6 6 , in respect of which the notice under
section 1 1 or the notice of determination to purchase under
section 2 0 is served, or
(c) a clearance order or a clearance area compulsory purchase
order under Part III of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1 9 6 6
in pursuance of a clearance resolution passed ­
after the date of this White Paper will be entitled to a special payment, or supplement,,
Where the house is acquired, the payment will be in addition to the basift compensation; where the house is not acquired, the payment will be the only sum that passes. (2) The payment, which will he equivalent to the amount "by which
rjhe market value of the house exceeds the value derived from the present
j statutory formula, will he payable to the owners of houses which are ownerI occupied as defined in sub-paragraph (3) below.
Payment cannot be made until
j the necessary legislation is enacted, but the owners concerned will be able to
j claim later (except insofar as they may already have received the equivalent
s u e - for instance, on a sale by agreement.)
(3) An owner-occupied house means in the first pla.ce any house
which has been occupied by its owner or a member of his family ever since the
date of this White Paper,
Where a house is acquired for occupation after that
date it will have to be owner-occupied for two years before the new arrangement
will apply to it.
Such a waiting period is necessary in order to prevent last
ninute sales being arranged simply to qualify for the supplement.
(4) Well-maintained" payments will not be paid where a house qualifi
tr
for the new supplement, but where it does not, the maximum of such payments
will be increased from 3 V 5 to 7 V 5 times the rateable value of the house, and
the new figure will apply to tenante d as well as to owner-occupied houses.
The payments will continue to be limited to the amount required to bring the
value determined on the present statutory formula up to the market value of the
house.
The apportionment of the payment between landlord and tenant will
continue to be a matter for the local authority,
MORE IKPRO vTMSNT
23.
Not nearly enough improvement work has been done in Scotland.
The
grants which private owners may be given are of two kinds, standard grants
which are available as of right in support of the cost of providing certain
hasic amenities and discretionary grants which cover a wider range of work.
The numbers of grants in recent years were Discretionary grants
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
2,390
2,486
2,515
2,366
2,624
2,390
Standard grants
1,566
1,421
1 ,408
1 ,391
1,464
1,213
Total
3,956
3,907
3,923
3,757
4,088
3,603
The numbers of grants paid to local authorities in respect of improvements to houses which they own were ­
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
19357
427
207
819
2,504
3,481
3,679
Uuch of this vrork Toy local authorities was of a limited kind, designed to provide facilities, in particular electric power circuits, which were lacking in the older subsidised houses.
Large sectors of the older housing stock in Scotland are entirely unaffected by present grant-aided improvement activity. 24.
One reason for the limited use of improvements grants is that the
maximum amounts which can be paid are too low.
The Government propose that
the normal maximum level of discretionary grant should be raised from £500 to
£1,200 and that it should in future he possible to include in grant-aided
improvement work certain items which have in the past been ineligible.
Tall
continue to be restricted to half the actual cost.
Grants
It is proposed to
increase the ceiling for the standard improvement grant to £200 and to revise
the costs of the individual items as follows:Maximum Grant
Now
Proposed
Basic Amenity
Bath
Wa.shh.and ha sin
Hot and oold water to bath
Hot and cold water to washhand basin
Hot and cold water to sink
W.C.
Pood store
Sink
25.
25
5
35
15
25
40
10
­
30
10
45
20
30
50
1 5
155
200
The problems posed by improvement differ from one area to another and
it is right that the assistance which local authorities can give should be
appropriate to the needs that arise.
Local authorities will therefore be
given discretion, subject to any directions which the Secretary of State may
give, to waive some of the existing conditions for grant.
Among those to be
1 traived might he those relating to the estimated "life" of the houses to he
I improved and the standard of improvement to he achieved, the requirement that
I U the missing "basic amenities" must be provided at once if a standard grant
5
:
i to he paid and the requirement that grant cannot be paid if the work has s
been started before the owner applies.
On the other hind, authorities will be
I given power to impose a time limit within which any approved work must he done,
26,
:
If there is to be a major increase in improvement activity it will be
necessary to ensure that landlords have a reasonable incentive in the form of an increased rent in return for the expenditure which they incur.
In the first place, the rent regulation provisions of the Rent Act 196*5 will he
! extended to apply to houses which are improved with grant assistance, even if j they were previously subject to controlled tenancies.
It will follow that
1 the rent to be charged for these houses will be the "fair rent" for which the
I machinery of the 1965 Act provides.
These provisions will replace the present
j provisions under which in certain cases (for instance, for conversions) the local authority which pays the grant fixes the maximum rent which may subsequently be charged, 27.
In the case of grants to local authorities it is proposed that the
I maximum eligible cost should he raised from £1 ,400 to £2,500.
This new
figure will also apply when housing associations, for whom there may be
j increased scope in improvement work, make approved arrangements with a local
I authority,
H v i P R O v E I v I E M P
28,
A R E A S
In order to make progress with new improvement policies it will he i
.: necessary to replace the rather cumbersome provisions of Part IT of the Housing
\ (Scotland) Act 1966.
Under the revised powers referred to in paragraph 18,
local authorities will be able to designate improvement areas.
The aim
I in these areas will be to help and persuade owners to improve their property
and to help them also by improving the environment.
In the view of the Government the voluntary principle must be the guiding one in all this and the powers of compulsory purchase, which local authorities will require to have, should only he used as a last resort.
It will he essential for the local authority to consider the wishes of the people in the area and to explain its plans fully to them. 29.
The Government propose a new grant of 50$ on approved expenditure
by local authorities on works and land acquisition for improving the environ­
ment of an area, for example by providing children's play spaces or planting
trees.
The grant-aided expenditure would be limited to £100 per house in the
area.
OTHER MATTMS
Patching 30.
The Cullingworth sub-committee strongly recommended that in those
-
areas with the wors ^ housing problems a major programme of "patching" should be
put in hand at once.
What they had in mind was that some means must he found
of improving without delay the worst conditions in vdiich people will be obliged
to live for a number of years.
Very little patching has been done in Scotland
since grant for it was introduced in 1954.
The reasons for this are not to be
found in any dissatisfaction with the amount of the patching grant, but rather
in the fact that patching relates, by statutory definition, to houses which
are unfit, and accordingly that carrying out the patching work involves the
local authorities in acquiring and managing slum property.
The Government
think it right that local authorities should undertake patching work on those
houses which are suffering from substantial disrepair but must he kept in use.
For this purpose it is proposed to continue to give grants related to the cost
of acquisition of such houses and of keeping them in use for a limited time.
Repairs
31.
Much of the older housing stock has suffered because necessary
repair work has been neglected over a long period.
Local authorities have
powers, scattered through a number of different statutes, which enable them to
enforce, subject to appeal to the Sheriff, works of repair which they consider
to be necessary.
These powers, however, do not come into play until the
house has deteriorated so far as to he injurious or dangerous to health, unfit
or dangerous.
If the general condition of the housing stock is not to be
subject t o further serious d e t e r i o r a t i o n , and i f the cost of future
policies
for dealing with the older housing stock i s to he kept within reasonable bounds,
it w i l l be necessary to strengthen the powers o f l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s so that they
may intervene e f f e c t i v e l y before deterioration goes too f a r .
The e f f e c t s of the
storm of l4-th/l5th January 1 968 emphasise the need f o r such powers.
This can
be done, without detracting from the r i g h t s of owners of houses, by redefining
the powers of the l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s in such a way that they can act whenever
there i s substantial d i s r e p a i r .
powers designed t o have t h i s
The forthcoming l e g i s l a t i o n w i l l include
effect.
Control^ of Houses i n Defined Areas
32.
Local a u t h o r i t i e s often complain t h a t , a f t e r they have rehoused a
family from a house vdiich they propose to c l o s e , a second family moves i n
before the c l o s i n g order becomes e f f e c t i v e and the l o c a l authority then f e e l
obliged t o rehouse the second family a l s o .
Part of the remedy f o r t h i s
d i f f i c u l t y no doubt l i e s i n the a l l o c a t i o n p o l i c i e s of l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s ;
but in order t o strengthen t h e i r powers in r e l a t i o n to houses i n advance of
statutory closure procedure i t i s intended t o g i v e them a measure of control
over the occupation or sale of houses i n areas which have been defined f o r
action.
L e g i s l a t i o n might, f o r instance, provide that a f t e r a certain stage
such houses could only be r e l e t t o tenants approved by the l o c a l authority or
sold with the consent of the authority.
SUMMARY OF PROPOSALS
33.
The Government's main s p e c i f i c proposals are that ­
there should be emphasis on the need t o plan the treatment
of whole areas of old houses, and a new standard of
t o l e r a b i l i t y should be Introduced f o r the purpose of defining
(h) the compensation payable t o owner-occupiers whose houses
are required to be cleared, and the well-maintained
payments in respect of other houses, should be increased
(paragraph 2 2 ) ;
the maximum amounts of improvement grants should be
increased and some changes should be made in the r u l e s
governing payment (paragraphs 2h-27);
(&) the rents of houses improved with grant should go
over to the "fair rent" system (paragraph 26) ;
(e) new statutory provisions affecting area improvement should
be introduced (paragraphs 28 and 29);
(f) local authorities should be given extended pov/ers to
compel owners to repair houses (paragraph 35).
l'?Il£ J l M e r ^
The maximum extra costs to which the proposals in the white Paper will lead are estimated to be ­
(£ million) 1968-69
1969-70
Nil
Nil
:
970-71
1.8
1971-72
2.5
1972-73
3-1
The proposals will involve a gradual change in the use of manpower among local authorities. There is likely to be little more trained manpower available; indeed the availability of vfualified sanitary inspectors, architects, surveyors and other professional officers will be the main limitating factor in securi. g an expansion of the type of ucrk concerned. As regards the building industry, the fairly specialised labour force wl ic the new improvement effort will require may be drawn partly from those now involved in new house construction, but will come mainly from those now chiefly engaged in repair and maintenance work. The representatives of t' e building industry will be consulted in due course about how any necessary adjustmev t cf the existing pattern can be achieved. v