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
Greenwich 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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65
In connection with para (c) the following observations can be
made. The Housing Act, 1949, provides for Exchequer contributions
to Local Authorities in respect of expenditure which may be
incurred by them in the improvement of existing dwellings and in
the conversion of houses and other buildings. Likewise, Local
Authorities are empowered under Section 20 of this same Act to
make grants to private owners for similar purposes. In respect of
this Borough, the powers contained in Section 20 relating to Local
Authorities have been delegated to the London County Council.
It is clear, however, that until there is a significant increase in
the provision of new dwellings, conditions existing in the older type
properties will have to be prevented from deteriorating. This duty
falls to the Sanitary Inspector and naturally much of his time
which is taken up with routine complaints and re-visits could, in
more normal times, be more usefully employed in preventive houseto-house
inspections.
During the current year the gap between the number of units
of new housing accommodation made available since 1945 and the
number of marriages solemnised during the same period has widened.
The following table shows the position in this respect for each year since 1945:—
| (a) New units of accommodation erected since 1945 up to:— | (b) Marriages since 1945 | (c) Difference between (a) and (b) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31st Dec. 1946 | 517 | 776 | 259 |
| „ „ 1947 | 1,052 | 1,552 | 500 |
| „ „ 1948 | 2,061 | 2,363 | 302 |
| „ „ 1949 | 2,578 | 3,048 | 470 |
| „ „ 1950 | 2,704 | 3,700 | 996 |
| „ „ 1951 | 3,172 | 4,370 | 1,198 |
Although not an accurate method of assessing the housing
situation the above figures do indicate a disturbing feature viz:
that the number of homes being set up by newly married couples is
in excess of the new accommodation becoming available. The
complications implicit in the figures are obvious.
In fairness it may be said that many married couples probably
took up residence outside the Borough but this is doubtless offset
by the fact that much of the new accommodation built in the
Borough by the L.C.C. since the war was allocated to non-residents.
Re-Housing.—
(a) Borough Council.—There were 369 new dwellings provided
by the Council during the year and the number of families housed