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
Orpington 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Orpington]
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16
SECTION D.
HOUSING
The Orpington Local Authority is well up in the list of
Authorities who have been successful in the provision of new
houses. To cope with the yearly increase of population alone,
and not taking into consideration the alleviation of overcrowding
nor the replacement of aged and sub-standard houses, requires
over 300 new houses each year. In certain populated areas in the
district there are many houses over 150 years old, crowded into
small spaces, and not up to the standard of modern ideas which
make for a good home.
lollowing table extracted rrom ngures appearing m the Appendix :
| Premises inspected | 422 |
| Number of visits | 2,289 |
| Premises with defects | 402 |
| Rendered fit by informal action | 361 |
| Rendered fit by formal action | 15 |
I am indebted to the Housing Manager for the following details of re-housing so effectively carried out by the Local Authority :
| Prior to 1949 | During 1949 | Total as at Dec. 1949 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. (a) No. of permanent dwellings built by the L.A. (excluding 402 old-type pre-1939 Council houses) | 555 | 326 | 881 |
| (b) No. of prefabricated dwellings built by L.A | 319 | _ | 319 |
| (c) No. of dwellings held under requisition by the L.A | 275 | — | 252 |
| II. (a) No. of families occupying I. (a) | — | — | 881* |
| (b) „ „ „ I. (b) | — | — | 319 |
| (c) „ „ „ I. (c) | — | — | 367 |
| III. Total No. of families rehoused during 1949 | — | — | 326 |
| * Plus lodgers. |