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 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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86
Overcrowding.—As a direct result of rehousing carried out
under (a), (b) and (c) above 50 cases of overcrowding were abated
during the year under review. The number of unabated certified
cases of overcrowding in the Borough now amounts to 64.
During 1959 there was a fall in the number of complaints
received concerning overcrowding, the year's figure of 31 showing
a decrease of 27 from that of the previous year. Each complaint
was investigated by the Public Health Inspector concerned and as a
result of these investigations 10 families were found to be overcrowded
according to the standards laid down by the Housing Act,
1957, and were subsequently certified as such.
It can be seen by the figures in the following table that there has been a definite decline since 1946 in the number of families found to be living in overcrowded conditions in the Borough:-
| Year | No. of cases of overcrowding reported |
|---|---|
| 1946 | 261 |
| 1947 | 128 |
| 1948 | 162 |
| 1949 | 168 |
| 1950 | 148 |
| 1951 | 56 |
| 1952 | 52 |
| 1953 | 53 |
| 1954 | 39 |
| 1955 | 39 |
| 1956 | 38 |
| 1957 | 25 |
| 1958 | 18 |
| 13-year average | 91 |
| 1959 | 10 |
New Housing Accommodation.—The following table lists the new dwellings erected in the Borough during 1959:-
| Type of Dwelling | G.B.C. | L.C.C. | Private | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses | 45 | - | 54 | 99 |
| Houses (rebuilt) | - | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Flats | - | 20 | 44 | 64 |
| Total No. of Dwellings | 45 | 22 | 99 | 166 |
Excluding the families accommodated in requisitioned
property, the total number of dwellings provided in the Borough
since the termination of the war is now 5,497.