London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Greenwich 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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73
SECTION D
Housing
The problem of an acute shortage of living accommodation, due
to bomb damage and the cessation of building during the war, is
still with us. It has been tackled very vigorously by the Council
although progress may not have been as rapid as one could have
wished. Since the war, new building in the Borough has been unable
to keep pace with the creation of new households, as instanced by
the following table:—
| (a) New units of accommodation erected since 1945 up to:— | (b) Marriages since 1945 | (c) Difference between (a) and (b) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31st Dec. 1946 | 517 | 776 | 259 |
| „ „ 1947 | 1,052 | 1,552 | 500 |
| ,, „ 1948 | 2,061 | 2,363 | 302 |
| ,, „ 1949 | 2,578 | 3,048 | 470 |
| ,, ,, 1950 | 2,704 | 3,700 | 996 |
| ,, ,, 1951 | 3,172 | 4,370 | 1,198 |
| ,, ,, 1952 | 3,635 | 5,090 | 1,455 |
| ,, ,, 1953 | 4,017 | 5,869 | 1,852 |
| ,, ,, 1954 | 4,088 | 6,640 | 2,552 |
| ,, ,, 1955 | 4,289 | 7,354 | 3,065 |
Although for various reasons this is not a strictly accurate
picture, it does serve to indicate a general trend. Now that the
major proportion of land available for housing purposes has either
been taken or is already earmarked, it is possible for the situation
to deteriorate.
In previous Reports emphasis has been given to this lack of
'housing space' and to the fact that such a situation in the urban
areas can only be alleviated (a) by alteration and conversion of
existing dwellings and (b) by slum clearance.
Prior to 1954, Government policy had concentrated largely on
the building of new houses for families without a separate home of
their own ; but it was recognised that no progress is made if every
new dwelling erected is cancelled out by the dilapidation of an old
one. In his Circulars 36/54 and 50/54, the Minister of Housing and
Local Government stressed that every encouragement should be given
by local authorities to owners to convert, improve and modernise