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133
Semi-Basement 8 Rooms—Waiting Room (Clinic).
Nurses' Room.
Doctor's Room.
Matron's Room.
Dirty Linen Room.
Linen Room.
Maids' Dining Room.
Store.
Lavatory and W.C.s (Addition).
Lavatory and W.C.
Linen Cupboard.
Stoker's Room.
Coal Store.
Heating Chamber.
W.C.
There is a main staircase between the Ground and First Floors
and a service staircase on the north side of the building serving
all floors.
Cracks in various parts of the buildings have been under
observation for some years and reports thereon submitted to the
Health Committee from time to time.
At present there are few rooms throughout both buildings
without unsightly cracks, and whilst some appear to have stopped
moving, several have recently increased in length and width and
from their position and direction suggest that movement is still
taking place in the foundations under the south-east corner and
south wall of "Elmhurst." The east and south walls of this
building bulge, and many of the window cills and arches are cracked
externally. Test tallies placed in these walls in 1935 have cracked.
The cracks in the east wall of the main staircase in "Westwood
Tower" have increased in length and are probably part of the movement
which caused a large crack to appear recently in Ward No. 4
on the Ground Floor. This crack occurred at night and was heard
by the patients in this ward.
The age and lay-out of the buildings do not, in my view,
warrant heavy expenditure on underpinning foundations. If the
present use of the properties is to be continued, it will be realised
that further movement with accompanying cracks are bound to
occur. Should this movement become dangerous at any time,
shoring would have to be resorted to, followed by rebuilding of the
portion affected.
(Signed) H. BURLEIGH,
Borough Engineer and, Surveyor.
Town Hall,
Battersea, S.W. 11.
17th November, 1938.