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

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Camberwell 1961

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.

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HOUSING
Slum Clearance
The new five-year programme of slum clearance for
1961/65 agreed between this Council and the London County
Council was put into operation during the year and five
areas comprising 48 houses were declared: -
No. of
persons
to be
displaced
Date
of
declaration
No. of
dwelling
houses
Area
Hornby Road. No. 1.
8.3.61
18
79
Hornby Road. No. 2.
8.3.61
5
24
Hornby Road. No. 3.
8.3.61
12
43
Whateley Road. No. 1.
4.7.61
2
15
Whateley Road. No. 2.
4.7.61
11
83
Housing Act, 1961
This Act, which came into operation on the 24th
November, 1961, gives wider powers to local authorities
to deal with unsatisfactory conditions in houses in multiple
occupation and provides for Regulations to be prescribed
by the Minister of Housing and Local Government to ensure
proper standards of management.
Section 15 of the Act empowers local authorities to
require the execution of works in such houses to ensure
adequate natural and artificial lighting, ventilation,
water supply, personal washing facilities, drainage and
sanitary conveniences, facilities for the storage, preparation
and cooking of food, and for the disposal of waste
water, or installations for space heating or for the use
of space heating appliances, having regard to the number
of individuals or households, or both, accommodated for
the time being on the premises.
A house in multiple occupation is defined as a house
occupied by members of more than one family, and probably
more than fifty per cent of the dwellings in Camberwell
would fall into this category. However, there are comparatively
few where squalid conditions pertain which would
require to be dealt with under the new legislation. Nevertheless,
there is no doubt that this is a growing problem.