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
Battersea 1923
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1923
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The formal order of the Minister of Health was made on the
7th January, 1924, and it is hoped that the improvement scheme
will be proceeded with during that year. It is regrettable, however,
that the sanction of the original scheme was not given by the
Ministry. This would have enabled the Council to have carried
out a really useful improvement scheme in this most congested
area of the Borough, its density being 231 persons per acre, as compared
with 42.2 persons per acre in the Broomwood Ward.
The limited area which the Ministry are prepared to sanction
will, at least, have the effect of disposing of some of the worst of
the old and worn out insanitary dwellings in the Borough.
The modified scheme will involve the demolition of 64 houses
in Britannia Place, Field Place and York Road, inhabited by,
approximately, 395 persons, and the cost of the improvement
scheme is estimated to be £55,610, and to involve an average nett
loss of about £15 per tenement per annum to the Council or £1,050
per annum on the whole scheme.
The following draft balance sheet prepared by the Borough Treasurer will show that these estimates are approximately correct so far as can at present be foreseen:—
| RECEIPTS. | £ | s. | d. | PAYMENTS. | £ | s. | d. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rents, 66 tenements* at 12s l0d. each per week | 2,202 | 4 | 0 | Average loan charges (Instalment svstem), £55 610 for 60 years at 4½% | 2,199 | 0 | 0 |
| 82 | 14 | 0 | |||||
| 2,119 | 10 | 0 | Rates at 12s. 4d. (Rateable value £12) | 488 | 8 | 0 | |
| Average annual deficit | 1,271 | 0 | 0 | Insurance | 231 | 1 | 0 |
| Water | 59 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Repairs, £5 per tenement per annum | 330 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Collection and supervision | 82 | 14 | 0 | ||||
| £3,390 | 10 | 0 | £3,390 | 10 | 0 |
A vcrage annual dencit per tenement, *.19 os. 2d.
Loans are calculated on the instalment system (equal instalments of principal, with interest
on balance outstanding). The first year's deficit will, in fact on this system, be £2,501. This sum
will be reduced £42 annually.
| Made up as follows:— | |
|---|---|
| £ | |
Deducting the Ministry's grant from £19 5s. 2d. will leave £14
nett average deficit per tenement per annum to be borne by the
Council, or £924 per annum for the whole scheme. It will be noted
that, following the Council's usual procedure, the balance sheet
anticipates that the loan will be taken up on the instalment system.
If, however, the loan were taken up on the annuity system, although
the annual deficits on the earlier years would be smaller, the annual
average nett deficit during the loan period of 60 years would be
increased (owing to this more expensive loan method) from £14 to
£21 per tenement per annum.