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3
Town Hall,
Kensington, W.8.
5th June, 1934.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Royal Borough of Kensington.
My Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my annual report for 1933 upon the state of the public health
in Kensington.
The birth rate for the year under review is 12.0 per 1,000 population, which is the lowest recorded
in Kensington; the rates for North and South Kensington respectively are also the lowest on record.
The death rate of 12.9 shows a decline on that for the previous year and, with the exception of the
rates for 1923, 1926 and 1930, is the lowest in the history of the borough.
The infant death rate shows a decrease from 98 in the previous year to 7.2. Whilst this decline
is gratifying, the rate is still too high. The rate of 98 in 1932 formed the subject of a detailed
investigation during the past twelve months and the findings are shown on page 10. At the present
time, the medical practitioners of the borough are making a close study into the causes of infant
deaths and their report is awaited with interest.
The year 1933 will be remembered as one during which the council devoted a considerable
amount of attention to the housing problem. They successfully completed arrangements with the
Kensington Housing Trust, the Peabody Donation Fund and the Sutton Dwellings Trust to build
some hundreds of flats on the vacant land which they had recently acquired at Dalgarno Gardens ;
thus, there will be available re.housing accommodation for people to be displaced from overcrowded
houses and basement rooms. During.the year, the council secured in the London County Council
(General Powers) Act of 1933, a section which enables them to close unsatisfactory basement rooms
for living and sleeping purposes in areas declared to be improvement areas, and to close unfit
individual rooms whether let separately or not in such areas. Moreover, they were successful in
inducing the central authorities to adopt a standard of 450 cubic feet per person in sleeping rooms
in such areas. In June, the council adopted a five years' housing programme and throughout the
remaining period of the year much time was devoted to the preliminary steps to be taken in
connection therewith.
Scarlet fever was prevalent throughout the whole year, but it was of a very mild type and
resulted in only one death. There was no other outstanding outbreak of infectious disease during
the year, with the exception that just before the close measles became epidemic.
The presentation of this report affords me an opportunity of expressing my appreciation of the
full measure of support which has been accorded to me by the Mayor, the Chairmen and Vice.
Chairmen of the various committees, and all members of the council. I wish specially to thank the
Town Clerk and the other chief officers, particularly at the present time, for the housing activities
of the council during the past year involved a greater strain on the resources of the public health
department than had hitherto been experienced, and the support received from them proved
invaluable. The staff of the department have worked loyally during a heavy year, and have shown
great enthusiasm in their endeavour to give efficient service to the council.
VITAL STATISTICS.
The Royal Borough of Kensington as constituted under the London Government Aat, 1899.
covers an area of 2,291 acres, and is co.extensive with the civil parish and registration district
of the same name. The line of demarcation formed by Holland Park Avenue, High Street,
Notting Hill Gate, and the Bayswater Road divides the borough into approximately equal halves
described in previous years and in this report as North and South Kensington respectively.
Each of these areas is co.terminous with the parliamentary division of the same name. Tire
borough is further sub.divided into nine wards. North Kensington includes the wards of .St.
Charles, Golbome, Norland and Pembridge, whilst South Kensington is made up of the five other
wards, namely, Holland, Earl's Court, Queen's Gate, Redcliffe and Brompton.
POPULATION.
The population of the borough as ascertained at the census in 1931 was 180,677 persons ; but
for the purpose of this report, the population for 1933 has been estimated by the Registrar.General
to be 181,100.