Councillor argues rooms are too small for a suite

A councillor claimed it was impossible to fit a ‘proper’ bedroom suite into the bedrooms of a threeapartment house built under the specifications laid down in the Government’s 1935 Housing Act.

Under the heading ‘Lilliputian Bedrooms’, the Observer of April 1939, reported the remarks of Councillor Baxter at a meeting of Stirlingshire Public Health Committee.

It was agreed by the committee to send a deputation to the Department of Health to urge civil servants and ministers to relax the rules on the size of house built under the auspices of the Act.

The department had refused to approve sculleries of 100 square feet in Stirlingshire County Council’s five-apartment homes. Sculleries should be no more than 80 square feet, according to the department.

Councillor Mclaren said the Housing Act had stated sculleries must have 80 square feet of free space but under the department’s regulations ‘the housewife was left with 30 square feet or less to carry out her duties’.

‘It seems to be ridiculous to consider only this scullery question when in the new houses which are being built it is impossible to get a three-piece suite in the bedrooms,’ said Councillor Baxter.

Councillor Paul said they had tried to resist efforts by the Department of Health to introduce smaller apartments in their council homes.

Councillor Mclaren said the department had stipulated a certain area for three, four and five-apartment houses.

‘You can juggle anyway you like with the space ,’ he added. ‘You can take space from the living room and add it to the bathroom or take it from the bathroom and add it to the scullery but you cannot exceed the total space laid down.’

Councillor Baxter argued that as it was a Department of Health regulation that could be altered without recourse to Parliament.

A progressive council like theirs should ask the department to allow them to provide houses of a size to meet ‘normal requirements’, he added.

The 1935 Housing Act aimed to tackle overcrowding in homes and encourage housing re-development in large towns blighted by slum accommodation

It established a national standard which was to be used to determine whether properties were overcrowded.