Manual on unfit houses and unhealthy areas / Ministry of Health.

Date:
1919
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Manual on unfit houses and unhealthy areas / Ministry of Health. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/122 (page 7)
    Order in which measures should be undertaken. 6. The whole situation is conditioned by the shortage of houses. Generally speaking, therefore, Local Authorities should not undertake measures which involve turning persons out of their present houses, defective even though these may be, until new accommodation (houses or flats) is available, or unless temporary quarters can be provided for the displaced persons. 7. Making houses fit.—In view of present circumstances, the first problem to be attacked will as a rule be that of the houses which are now in bad condition but can be made reasonably fit without displacing the tenants. Consistently with securing this object, reasonable consideration should be paid to owners, both as to the time within which, and the manner in which, the necessary works are to be carried out, having regard to present conditions as regards labour and materials. 8. Houses so unfit that they should be demolished.—Until more houses are provided, it is impracticable to proceed otherwise than very cautiously with the demolition of houses. The utmost endeavour should be made to bring houses (even those which under other conditions would immediately be demolished) up to a tolerably good standard. The acceptance of a lower standard than would otherwise be desirable must be frankly adopted as a temporary measure. When the pressing shortage of accommodation of the present time has been met (and the poor housing which has to be temporarily accepted should provide an incentive to speedy action), the demolition of unsatisfactory houses can be undertaken with general advantage. _ 9. Improvement of unhealthy areas.—Even before the stage is reached at which the demolition of individual unfit houses on a large scale can safely be undertaken, it may be found practicable to deal with some slum areas by schemes of improvement, by pulling down houses here and there so as to obtain better ventilation and more open space, as distinct from comprehensive clearance schemes, where all the houses in an area, or a substantial part of an area, are demolished. In some districts, there may be a number of slum areas which lend themselves to this treatment (the matter is dealt with at more length in chapter VII., page 17) ; and it may be advantageous to adopt it, because, at the cost of comparatively little displacement (for which special provision should be possible), the conditions may be much improved over a considerable area. 10. Clearance of unhealthy areas. —Because of the displacement of families involved, it may not generally be piaGHionpio immediately to carry out large schemes of slum clearances. The Local Authority should, however, as already indicated, lose no time in formulating their schemes, which can: then be carried out gradually, new accommodation, which in some cases may be special temporary accommodation, being provided, where necessary, before demolition takes place. It has to be remembered also that under the existing regulations, in order that financial assistance may be received, a Local Authority must have made “reasonable progress ’”’ by the 3lst July, 1921. _ Local Authorities would be well-advised to prepare at gthe earliest date a comprehensive programme, which might at first be in outline, for dealing with their slums. The programme should classify the slums according to the manner in which they could best be dealt with, and should indicate the order in which they should be treated. Buildings of national interest. 11. Local Authorities should give special consideration to any buildings which, for historical, zesthetic or other reasons, it may be in thenational interest to preserve.* Policy subject to local conditions. 12. The foregoing statement of policy is based on the conditions generally prevailing in the country. It is governed by the eoareent grave shortage of houses. ‘* The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings wil oo glad to give advice in this respect. Their publication ‘‘ Report as to Treatment of Old Cottages ” will be found helpful.