London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

London County Council 1901

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

This page requires JavaScript

62
feet in the dining, reading and smoking rooms is as follows: Dining-room 6,067, including
475 round hot-plate, reading-room 3,057, and smoking-room 2,031, providing per lodger respectively
7.54, 3.80 and 2.53. "With regard to the sleeping accommodation, two principal staircases
leading to the dormitories, and one emergency staircase axe provided. It will therefore
be impossible for all egress from the house to be blocked in the event of fire. Each cubicle is
4 ft. 10½ inches wide and 7 ft. 4½ inches long (internal dimensions), and is provided with a
window so that ample means of through ventilation are secured. Two cubicles on each floor
will be occupied by the resident male staff. The dormitory corridors are 4 ft. 6 in. wide, and
four water-closets and two sinks for urgent use are provided on each of the five dormitory floors.
The lodgers' promenade is provided over the reading-room and part of the dining-room, and is
approached by means of the south-west staircase."
Schemes undertaken by District Councils under Part II. of the Act, the County Council contributing
towards the cost.
On the 26th November the County Council had under consideration a proposal by the
Metropolitan Borough Council of Shoreditch for the modification of the Moira-place and
Plumber's-place scheme. This scheme originally provided for the displacement of 533 persons
of the working class and the rehousing of 400 upon part of the areas cleared. In 1897 the scheme
was modified to enable the local authority itself to erect the necessary buildings, and in the
following year the approval of the County Council was given to a proposal that the borough
council should build dwellings for an additional 72 persons on land which it was formerly proposed
to devote to commercial purposes. There were three remaining pieces of land on which
the borough council had proposed to build, under Part III. of the Act, shops with dwellings over
for 48 persons. In view of the opinion of the Local Government Board that there is no power
under Part III. which authorises the erection of shops, the approval of the County Council was
sought to the work being carried out under Part II. On the recommendation of the Housing
of the Working Classes Committee the Council assented to the necessary modification of the
scheme for this purpose. On the 17th December the County Council approved the plans of
buildings (with some modification to be erected on these plots). On the 3rd December the Countv
Council approved plans for the erection of a block of buildings on the Queen Catherine-court,
Limehouse, area. The building will be five storeys in height, of the balcony type, and will provide
accommodation for 130 persons in 11 tenements of two rooms and 14 tenements of three
rooms.
Proceedings in respect of houses represented under Part II. of the Act 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, 1901—

Local Authority.Total number of houses concerning which the Council has received information that representations have been made from the 1/1/01 to the 31/12/01.Number of houses dealt with 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 represented but subsequently dealt with under Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
Still closed.Demolished.Improved.Total.Still closed.Demolished.Improved.Total.
Battersea__
Bermondsey-----------
Bethnal-green167799_
Camberwell---------__
Chelsea----------_
Deptford-----------
Finsbury-----------
Fulham115611--__
Greenwich2-2-2----
Hackney-----------
Hammersmith---------
Hampstead-----------
Holborn66--6-----
Islington----------
Kensington----------
Lambeth1741317-_
Lewisham44--4----_
Paddington-----------
Poplar-----------
St. Marylebone*-----------
St. Pancras-------
Shoreditch----------_
Southwark---------__
Stepney-----------
Stoke Newington-----------
Wandsworth-----_
Westminster11----11--11
Woolwich281--12--2-25
Total95166264813-922-25

* The houses on the Devonshire-place area, represented to the Borough Council of St. Marylebone under Part 2 of the Act and
afterwards reported to the London County Council under Part 1, have not been included in the above return.