London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

City of Westminster 1966

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]

This page requires JavaScript

14
arrangements for maintenance are in the hands of the Ministry of Works and Public Buildings and
regular water examination is carried out by the Government Chemist.
During the year, in relation to the boreholes in private ownership and control, 92 samples of water
were submitted for bacteriological examination and 32 for chemical analyses. All were reported to be
satisfactory.
Swimming Bath Water Examination
There are eleven municipal swimming baths in the City, two each at Marshall Street, W.1.,
Buckingham Palace Road, S.W.1., Porchester Hall, W.2., Seymour Hall, W.1., and Kensal Road, W.10.
and one at Great Smith Street, S.W.1.
Monthly examinations are carried out at each swimming bath, comprising the taking of samples
from the shallow (inlet) and deep (outlet) ends of each bath for the purposes of bacteriological
examination and for ascertaining the residual chlorine content and the pH value (degree of acidity)
of the water.
During the year, 222 samples were submitted to the Public Health Laboratory Service for bacteriological
examination and an equal number of samples were examined at the baths for residual
chlorine content and pH value.
In only two instances did the results indicate unsatisfactory conditions. Although in each case
there was a raised colony count only minimal numbers of coliform bacteria were present. These two
doubtful samples appear to have been due to temporary failures of chlorination and after appropriate
instructions had been issued no further trouble was experienced.
Drainage and New Developments
Other than sewerage, drainage works relating to both new and existing buildings within the City
are under the control and supervision of the Health Department. A specialist team of Public Health
Inspectors deals with drainage and ventilation installations for all new developments, and with
adaptations and alterations relating to groups of buildings forming one unit of construction.
Alterations to systems in existing single premises are supervised by district Public Health Inspectors.
Close liaison is maintained with the City Engineer in relation to all new sewer connections, levels
of outfalls and openings into the Council's sewers, and with the Director of Cleansing in regard to
refuse storage facilities and means of access for removal of house and trade refuse in the cases of all
major works.
At the time consideration is given to plans deposited for the examination of drainage proposals,
all aspects of Health and Housing legislation are taken into account, together with requirements of
the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act, in order to ensure that any plan agreed by the Department
will meet, as far as can be foreseen, legislation other than that relating to drainage only.
Of 810 drainage plans approved during the year, 79 related to new buildings. A total of 11,198
visits were made by the Public Health Inspectors in connection with drainage and new development
matters but no circumstances were found which necessitated legal proceedings.
During the year under review an interesting trend was noticeable in that a decline in new commercial
buildings designed to be let as offices appeared to coincide with increased activity in other
works of building construction. The modernisation of many hotels and the adaptation of terraced
town houses to form hotels were major features of private enterprise. A 21 storey hotel arose in
Bayswater Road and will probably be opened to guests in May 1967 whilst other hotels in Park
Lane and Grosvenor Square are under construction. These three developments alone will provide
approximately 1,250 additional bedrooms in the City and go some way to meet the lack of hotel
accommodation in central London which has been the subject of severe criticism.
There has been extensive work to Educational Institutions, including the Imperial College of
Science and Technology and the new Paddington Technical College. An old Marylebone landmark,
the institution dating back to Poor Law days and latterly known as Luxborough Lodge, has been
demolished and is being replaced by the Greater London Council by a Technical College with
additional housing accommodation.
The Greater London Council have also proceeded with their multi-storey housing schemes,
particularly along Harrow Road in the Westbourne and Walterton Road areas. Many older larger
terraced houses in Paddington have been converted to modern style flats and the re-development
of the Oxford Square area into higher rented residential flats and town houses has progressed
substantially.
New design techniques and new materials, particularly in the application of plastics, are both
bringing about changes in traditional building methods. This is particularly exemplified in the field of
ventilation where technological advances are resulting in systems of increasing complexity. All
these matters require constant study and vigilance on the part of the supervising officers.