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 1935
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]
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108
The survey which the Council were required to carry out under
section 1 of the Housing Act, 1935, to ascertain the extent of overcrowding
in the Borough, was commenced on the 1st November,
1935, and completed on the 18th January, 1936.
The additional temporary staff engaged for the survey consisted
of 1 supervisor, 26 enumerators, 12 survey assistants and
7 clerks, who were employed for varying periods.
The results of the survey have been tabulated and are summarised in the following table :—
| Area. | No. of Dwellings surveyed. | No. of cases of Overcrowding. | Percentage1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nine Elms Ward | 6,055 | 411 | 6.79 |
| Park Ward | 3,843 | 303 | 7.88 |
| Latchmere Ward | 4,703 | 285 | 6.06 |
| Shaftesbury Ward | 3,913 | 111 | 2.84 |
| Church Ward | 4,503 | 276 | 6.13 |
| Winstanley Ward | 4,531 | 408 | 9.00 |
| St. John Ward | 1,915 | 68 | 3.55 |
| Bolingbroke Ward | 5,569 | 74 | 1.33 |
| Broom wood Ward | 5,831 | 32 | 0.55 |
| The whole Borough... | 40,863 | 1,968 | 4 82 |
Supplemental figures were also prepared relating to the estates owned by the London County Council and this Council respectively and are summarised in the subjoined table :—
| Group. | No. of Dwellings surveyed. | No. of cases of Overcrowding. | Percentage* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estates owned by the London County Council | 170 | 33 | 19.4 |
| Estates owned by the Battersea Borough Council | 850 | 114 | 13.4 |
Of the 114 cases of overcrowding on the estates owned by this
Council, six were transferred to larger accommodation during 1935,
and, judging from the experience gained in the measurement of
rooms in doubtful cases there would appear to be only about 24
cases which could be regarded as serious overcrowding, the remainder
being probably one unit or less in excess of the permitted number.
* i.e. percentage of cases of overcrowding among dwellings surveyed.