ORDINANCE No. 13 of 1901.
Public Health.
(2.) Any basement story, designed for cellarage or purposes other than human habitation, may abut against the hill-side, to the extent of the height of such basement story.
52. Every person who shall, under the provisions of drainage... — section 51, leave a clear intervening space or area between a new building and the hill-side, shall make the surface of the floor of such area at least twelve inches lower than the level of the basement floor of such new building, and he shall lay, to the full extent of such area, along the toe of the slope of the hill-side, and to a depth of at least twelve inches below the surface, a line of hard, sound, stone-ware or field-pipes, of not less than three inches diameter, for the purpose of effectually draining the subsoil of such area, and he shall not cause such subsoil drain to be passed out under the floor of any building, unless any other mode of outlet may be impracticable; and, in such case, he shall cause the subsoil drain to be so laid under the ground floor of such new building, that there shall be a distance of at least nine inches between the top of such drain and the surface of such ground floor.
Page 24
53. Every area shall be kept, at all times, free and unobstructed by structures of any kind other than flights of steps, nor shall such area be roofed in, or covered over with glass or other material. No bridge or flight of steps shall be placed over any window opening into such area. Every area shall be provided with a suitable parapet wall, or safe iron railing, or fence, along its upper edge.
54. Every person who shall erect a domestic building upon land which has been obtained from the Crown subsequent to the thirtieth day of May, 1888, shall provide along the entire back of such building, if one story, a clear space forming a backyard of at least ten feet in width, and if such building be of two or more stories, he shall cause the width of such back-yard to be at least fifteen feet.
55.-(a.) Every existing domestic building must be provided by the owner with an open space in the rear, by opening out on each floor one-half of the entire space intervening between the principal room or rooms and the main wall at the back of such building as well as the corresponding portion of roof, unless such building is already provided with an open and unobstructed backyard of at least fifty square feet in area, and the building must be provided on every floor with a window of at least ten square feet superficial area opening into such open space. The area of such window shall not be included in calculating the window area required by section 69 of this Ordinance.
(b) For the purposes of this section any domestic buildings (other than corner houses) having two main frontages in different streets shall be regarded as two domestic buildings if the entire depth from frontage to frontage exceeds fifty feet.
(c.) The Board with the consent of the Governor in Special Council shall have power, in special cases, to modify the foregoing requirements of this section where such modification may appear necessary.
(d.) In no case may any obstructions whatever be placed or erected in these open spaces, with the exception of a bridge or covered way on each storey not exceeding three feet six inches in width when such bridge is necessary as a means of access to any part of the domestic building.
Page 198
56.-(a.) Every domestic building hereafter erected (except in cases provided for by section ... of this Ordinance, or coming within the terms of Articles of Agreement under the Praya Reclamation Ordinance, 1889) shall be provided by the owner with an open space in the rear in accordance with the following scale :--
Houses not exceeding 40 feet in depth, for each foot of width ... 8 square feet.
Houses exceeding 40 feet but not exceeding 50 feet in depth, for each foot of width ... 10 square feet.
Houses exceeding 50 feet but not exceeding 60 feet in depth, for each foot of width ... 12 square feet.
Houses exceeding 60 feet in depth, for each foot of width ... 14 square feet.
(b.) In no case may any obstructions whatever be placed or erected in these open spaces, with the exception of a bridge or covered way on each storey when such bridge is necessary as a means of access to any part of the domestic building; such bridge shall not exceed three feet six inches in width, unless the building exceeds twenty-five feet in width, in which case the bridge may be of a width not exceeding five feet. The building must also be provided on every floor with a window of at least ten square feet superficial area opening into such open space and the area of such window shall not be included in calculating the window area required by section 69 of this Ordinance.
(c) Provided always that when the owners of a block of buildings agree to make and do make a lane opening at both ends upon a public thoroughfare and free from obstruction throughout both vertically and horizontally, the foregoing requirements shall be modified as follows:- Houses not exceeding 40 feet in depth: a lane not less than 6 feet wide.