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

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Deptford 1911

Annual report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Deptford

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147
(5) Paving, drainage, and sanitary condition of any yard
or outhouse belonging to or occupied with the dwelling
house.
(6) The arrangement for the deposit of refuse and ashes.
(7) The existence of cellar dwellings and rooms unfit for
habitation.
(8) Any defects (general) which may tend to render the
dwelling house dangerous or injurious to the health of
an inhabitant. ■
BACK-TO-BACK HOUSES.
Section 43 makes the erection of back-to-back houses
intended to be used as dwelling houses unlawful, but provides
that nothing is to prevent the erection or use of a house containing
several tenements in which the tenements are placed
back-to-back, if the Medical Officer of Health certifies that the
several tenements are so constructed and arranged as to secure
effective ventilation of all habitable rooms in every tenement.
This section does not apply in cases where the plans have
been approved by the Local Authority before the 1st of May,
1909.
As there seems to be no provision in the Act to meet the
case of an owner who desires to use the house for some other
purpose than for human habitation, such, for example, as forstabling
or for a barn, or for some purpose which would neither
be a nuisance nor injurious to health, it is therefore suggested
that before a closing order is made, the owner of the house
should be informed that if he desires to utilize the house for
purposes other than those of a dwelling house, he should do so
before the order is made. This suggestion is an admirable one
for getting out of the difficulty which has been created, although
in actual practice it will be found that it will be necessary