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
Woolwich 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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houses built since the cessation of hostilities and, as the following statistics show,
some headway was made in reducing the number of waiting applicants. Actual
numbers of new houses built in the Borough during 1949 were:—
By Woolwich Borough Council, 386 ; and by private enterprise, 111.
Apart from the erection of flats by the London County Council, there were a further 287 houses under construction in the Borough by the Borough Council and by private enterprise at the end of the year.
| Number of applications on Register at 1st January, 1949 | 8,809 | |
| Number of applications received during year | 1,889 | |
| 10,698 | ||
| Number of applicants rehoused during year:— | ||
| (1) By Borough Council | 484 | |
| (2) Nomination to L.C.C. | 58 | |
| Nomination to owners of private property | 7 | |
| (3) Direct by L.C.C. | 223 | |
| 772 | ||
| 9,926 | ||
| Number of applications cancelled or withdrawn (no reply to Ministry of Health Circular, licences issued under Control of Civil Buildings, applicants moved or found own accommodation) | 3,626 | |
| Number of applicants on Register at 31st December, 1949 | 6,300 | |
| Properties under Council's control:— | ||
| At 31st December, 1949, tenancies totalled:— | ||
| In pre-war houses | 4,317 | |
| In rebuilt houses | 130 | |
| In new post-war houses | 1,006 | |
| In temporary dwellings | 986 | |
| In S.D.A.A. Properties in Possession | 35 | |
| In requisitioned properties | 1,140 | |
| In other properties | 103 | |
| 7,717 |
The weekly rent roll at the end of 1949 was £7,164 6s. 3d.
The above information has been kindly supplied by the Director of Housing.
In December, 1949, there were 37,925 houses in the Borough. The number
inspected for housing defects under the Public Health or Housing Acts was 6,242.
The number found not to be in all respects reasonably fit for habitation was 2,995.
Some 2,321 houses were rendered fit in consequence of informal action by the
sanitary inspectors, including the service of Intimation Notices. Statutory Notices
were served for the first time in respect of 1,229 houses.
The work necessitated by the large number of complaints of all descriptions
received in 1949, not only made essential the appointment of an additional sanitary
inspector, but continued to restrict the number of house-to-house inspections carried
out under the Housing (Consolidated) Regulations, 1925. Nevertheless, 397
dwelling houses were inspected under these Regulations compared with 103 in
1948.
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