View report page

12
Housing—Works of Maintenance and Repair
Early in the year I reported to the Public Health Committee that
" the cumulative effect of war damage, the lack of elementary maintenance
work during and after the war years, the difficulties of obtaining
building labour and materials, and high costs generally, had resulted
in a large amount of deterioration and dilapidations in dwelling houses in
the Borough I stressed also the additional complication, particularly
in the Adelaide and Priory Wards, of large numbers of dilapidated
premises where the leases had either expired or had only very few years
to run.
The improved supply of building labour and materials, coupled with
the removal or relaxation of many building licence controls or restrictions,
materially offset some of these difficulties and in consequence, there
was a very considerable increase in the amount of repairs carried out
to remedy urgent disrepair of dwelling houses.
The urgent need of new homes obviously overshadows the problem
of the many unfit, lease-expired, basement dwellings in the Borough;
nevertheless, the condition of such premises is a cause of increasing
concern from the health point of view.
Staff
It is with great regret I have to report the death of Mr. A. C.
Townsend, a highly esteemed and respected Sanitary Inspector in the
Department for nearly 40 years.
Mr. G. Lewis Nicklin was appointed as Sanitary Inspector and
commenced duty on 13th December, 1948.
Flooding by Storm Water
On the evening of May 11th, 1948, following a heavy rainstorm,
areas of the Borough were again flooded. The basement dwellings in
Sumatra Road, Maygrove Road, Iverson Road, Netherwood Street,
Palmerston Road, Kingsgate Road, Goldhurst Terrace, Belsize Road,
Fleet Road, and the basements of shops in Kilburn High Road were all
affected.
The depth of flooding varied from a few inches to approximately
3 ft. In the majority of cases the immediate cause was a surcharge of
the sewers, but in many premises surface flooding was responsible.
Relief measures were immediately organised—supplies of wood, coal,
soap and disinfectant were issued to all the affected families and the
Borough Engineer's and Public Health Department's staffs assisted in
cleaning out and disinfecting the basements.
I am indebted to the Borough Engineer for the following information
as to sewer relief works carried out during the year and completed early
in 1949, at an approximate cost of £33,500 :—
Portion of Palmerston Road sewer relaid.
Enlargement or supplementation of Netherwood Street sewer.
New Honeybourne Road sewer.
Enlargement of Lymington Road sewer.
New relief sewer across railway and other property.
Enlarging sewer in Goldhurst Terrace.
The effect of these works will be to secure a more equable distribution
of storm water throughout the sewers of the Borough which will reduce
the risk of flooding in the present danger areas.
It is, nevertheless, emphasised by the Borough Engineer that these
works cannot be regarded as a remedy for all flooding.