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
Kensington 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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with respect to tenement houses and flats for the adequate artificial
lighting of any common staircase in such premises.
(b) Periodical cleansing and redecoration
Representations were made to the Metropolitan Boroughs'
Standing Joint Committee asking them to consider the effect of the
repeal of Byelaw 22 of the Tenement House Byelaws, which had enabled
Borough Councils to require the periodical cleansing of rooms, etc.
in certain tenement dwellings. The loss of this power appears to
prevent the maintenance of a satisfactory standard of cleanliness and
decoration in buildings of this kind, and, whilst recognising that
satisfactory provision for maintaining the condition of buildings as
such is available under the Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954,
supplemental powers, similar to those formerly available under Byelaw
22, would be of considerable assistance in dealing with those tenement
buildings where low standards of cleanliness may persist. On
consideration, it was felt that the main difficulty which arises in
London at the present time is in obtaining the cleansing of common
staircases and those other parts of buildings (commonly lavatories)
which are used in common. After obtaining the views of their
constituent Councils, the Standing Joint Committee decided to consult
with the London County Council with a view to securing amending
legislation on these lines.
Slum Clearance
Action already taken
The following table gives details of the clearance areas declared by the Council since 1950, when slum clearance work under the Housing Act, 1936, was recommenced:-
| Name of Area | Date of Declaration | No. of houses | No. of persons displaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elgin Mews | 25.4.1950 | 28 | 86 |
| Lionel Mews (Nos. 1 and 2.) | 3.l0.1950 | 13 | 38 |
| Lonsdale Mews (Nos. 1 and 2.) | 2.1.1951 | 19 | 14 |
| Munro Mews | 2.1.1951 | 24 | 55 |
| South End Row and Gardens | 3.4.1951 | 10 | 4 |
| East Mews Road | 3.4.1951 | 14 | 40 |
| Powis Mews | 13.11.1951 | 13 | 30 |
| St. Lukes Mews | 13.11.1951 | 20 | 41 |
| Portobello Road | 13.11.1951 | 4 | 3 |
The Minister of Housing and Local Government has confirmed that
all the above-mentioned areas may be dealt with as clearance areas
with the exceptions that (a) in the case of St. Lukes Mews seven properties
were excluded from the confirming order and, (b) in the case of South End
Row and Gardens, the owners carried out the necessary demolition works
prior to the Minister's decision.
In addition to the above areas, a further area, the Treverton
Street area, had been earmarked as a clearance area, but the Council
eventually decided to proceed with the acquisition of the major part of
the area under Part V of the Housing Act, 1936, instead of waiting to
deal with the area as a clearance area under Part III of the Act. A
Compulsory Purchase Order was made in respect of the following ninety-one
premises:-