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During the year there was some adverse comment in the press on
the Council's overcrowding policy, which is to operate the provisions of
Part IV of the Housing Act, 1957, dealing with overcrowding, especially
in the Golborne Ward. These provisions impose a statutory duty on local
authorities to abate overcrowding, and are a re-enactment of provision.
originally contained in the Housing Act, 1935.
The Golborne Ward contains a very large immigrant population,
both white and coloured. The 1961 census indicated that 46.5 per cent
of the population of this Ward were born outside the United Kingdom,
compared with 14.4 per cent for the Administrative County of London, and
29.3 per cent for Kensington as a whole. The census also indicated
that the Golborne Ward had the highest number of persons per room in
London (1.17); the highest percentage of persons at more than 1½ per
room in London (40.5 per cent); and the fourth highest number of persons
per acre (128.5).
In the circumstances the Council considered as a public health
authority that they have no alternative but to carry out their statutory
duty to abate overcrowding. If they failed to do so, conditions in this
part of the borough would soon become such as to render the Council
liable to severe and justified criticism.
ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING PRIORITIES ON MEDICAL GROUNDS
During the year, 162 applications for rehousing on medical
grounds were examined, and recommendations for the award of additional
points were made to the Chief Housing Officer. In each case the
precise medical condition and resultant disability were determined
(frequently necessitating communication with the family doctor or with
the hospital attended). The premises were inspected in detail to
ascertain the extent and nature of the existing accommodation; the
adequacy of day and sleeping space; the risk of infection; the existence
of remediable or irremediable sanitary or structural defects, and
the existence of inconveniences, such as stairs, which might be
prejudicial to the patient.
On this information and that supplied by the Chief Housing
Officer, an assessment of points to be awarded on medical grounds was
made in 159 cases.
PROVISION OF NEW HOUSING ACCOMMODATION
The post-war housing schemes completed in Kensington by the
Council have provided 1,754 flats. The total number of properties
under Council management is summarised in the following table:-