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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

London County Council 1899

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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Table: Proceedings in respect of houses represented as unfit for human habitation.The following tabular statement shows the procedure of district authorities as to houses represented as unfit for human habitation and concerning which the Council has received copies of representations from the 1st January to the 31st December, 1899—

Proceedings in respect of houses represented as unfit for human habitation.

The following tabular statement shows the procedure of district authorities as to houses represented as unfit for human habitation and concerning which the Council has received copies of representations from the 1st January to the 31st December, 1899—

Local Authority.Total number of house4 concerning which the Council has received information that representations have been made from the 1/1/1)9 to the 31/12/99.Number of houses closed, demolished or improved by owners without Magisterial intervention.Number of houses for which closing orders were granted.Number of houses for which closing orders were refused.Number of houses outstanding or concerning which proceedings are in progress.Number of houses subsequently dealt with under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
Closed.Demolished.Improved.Total.Subsequently demolished.Subsequently improved.No further action.Total.
Battersea------------
Bermondsey------------
Bethnal-green9--99-------
Camberwell------------
Chelsea------------
Clerkenwell7----7--7---
Fulham4--44-------
Greenwich------------
Hackney------------
Hammersmith------------
Hampstead1------11---
Holborn------------
Islington------------
Kensington------------
Lambeth42---------42-
Lee------------
Lewisham-----------
Limehouse------------
Mile-end Old-town124--4-----8-
Newington9-9-9-------
Paddington------------
Plumstead5-5-5-------
Poplar------------
Rotherhithe2--22-------
St. George, Hanover-sq.------------
St. George-in-the-East6--3321-3---
St. George, Southwark------------
St. Giles2-----112---
St. James, Westminster------------
St. Luke1------11---
St. Martin-in-the-Fields-----------
St. Marylebone3--11-2-2---
St. Olave, Southwark2----------2
St. Pancras------------
St. Saviour, Southwark------------
Shoreditch------------
Strand------------
Wandsworth3-3-3-------
Westminster5----5--5---
Whitechapel------------
Woolwich------------
Total1134171940144321-502

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From the above tabular statement it will be seen that during the past year only 16 of the
local authorities have taken any action under Part II. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act,
1890. It does not necessarily follow that in the other districts proceedings have not been instituted for
closing houses, the explanation being that many of the local authorities have found it more convenient
to proceed under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891. In five cases—those of Hammersmith, St.
George, Hanover-square, St. James, St. Martin-in-the-fields, and St. Saviour, Southwark—no action
has been taken under Part II. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act since this Act came into
force.
The medical officer of health of St. Olave represented as " obstructive buildings " the two middle
blocks of Barnham-buildings. He reported that " the average death rate of the unhealthy tenements
(all the ground and first floor rooms, except those facing the front, Barnham-street, and the rear of
the buildings) was at least 49-6 per 1,000 and of the remainder at least 29* 1 per ],000, and for each
of the five years the death rate in the unhealthy tenements was much higher than that of the
remainder." A committee of the district board inspected the buildings, and in view of the great
demand for house accommodation in the district, felt they were not justified in making an order for
the demolition of the obstructive buildings, inasmuch as it would involve the loss of 48 " undoubtedly
inhabitable tenements."
The following references to the subject of the housing of the working classes appeared in the
reports of medical officers of health—
Kensington—Dr. Dudfield discusses the Notting-dale area and reiterates his opinion that the
houses should be acquired by a public authority which should let the rooms at reasonable rents,
subject to regulations to ensure the good conduct of the lodgers, and that this would entail no loss
to the ratepayers. The Council again had this subject under consideration, a memorial having been
[9]