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
Paddington 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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Estimate of the Number of New Houses required for the Abatement of Overcrowding, Prepared in Accordance with Official Suggestions.
| Size. Number. | 3 rooms. | 4 rooms. | 5 rooms. | 6 rooms. | 7 rooms. | 8 rooms. | 9 rooms. | 10 rooms. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 rooms 573 | 458 | 86 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | 573 |
| 4 rooms 225 | — | 90 | 124 | 11 | — | — | — | — | 225 |
| 5 rooms 42 | — | — | 9 | 15 | 16 | 2 | — | — | 42 |
| 6 rooms 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| 7 rooms — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Totals 841 | 458 | 176 | 162 | 26 | 16 | 3 | — | — | 841 |
Minimum Standard op Accommodation.
The standard of accommodation laid down by the Act for determining overcrowding consists of
two parts. The first aims at securing proper separation of the sexes; the second restricts the number
of persons who may occupy a dwelling-house. The two requirements are distinct from each other
and both must be complied with: they are more fully explained as follows:—
(а) A dwelling-house is deemed to be overcrowded if the accommodation is such that any
two persons, being ten years old or more, of opposite sexes and not being persons living together
as husband and wife, are obliged to sleep in the same room.
(б) The maximum number of persons, irrespective of sex, who may be permitted to sleep
in a dwelling-house at one time is fixed in relation to the number and sizes of the rooms in the
house. The maximum permitted number is ascertained by reference to the two following tables,
and is the number obtained by the application of Table I or Table II, whichever is the less.
Table I.
| No. of Rooms. | Permitted No. of persons. |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 5 |
| 4 | 7 1/2 |
| 5 | 10 |
| And two persons extra for each additional room. | |
Table II.
| Size of Rooms. | Permitted No. of persons. |
|---|---|
| Under 50 sq. ft. | Nil |
| 50 or more, but less than 70 | 1/2 |
| 70 or more, but less than 90 | 1 |
| 90 or more, but less than 110 | l 1/2 |
| 110 or more | 2 |
For the purposes of these tables:—
(i) A child under one year of age is not counted and a child between the ages of one and ten
years counts as half a person.
(ii) Only rooms normally used in the locality for sleeping or living purposes are counted
as rooms.
(iii) No room under 50 square feet is counted.
(iv) Rooms occupied by a sub-tenant must be regarded as a separate dwelling-house.
(v) In measuring the rooms, the floor area is measured at the level of the floor, and includes
bay window extensions and space taken up by cupboards and projecting chimney-breasts; but
where the height of the ceiling above the floor does not exceed five feet, then the floor area below
that part of the ceiling is excluded.