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
Stoke Newington 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stoke Newington, The Metropolitan Borough]
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NUISANCES REMEDIED
| Premises in such a state as to be a nuisance or injurious or dangerous to health | 42 |
| The house or part of the house in a damp condition as to be insanitary | 94 |
| The house in a dilapidated condition so as to be insanitary | 67 |
| The wallplaster or ceiling in part of the house defective so as to be insanitary | 71 |
| The Water Closet so defective as to be a nuisance | 35 |
| The Water Closet stopped | 3 |
| The 30il pipe improperly ventilated | 1 |
| The soil pipe defective | 3 |
| The sink defective and insanitary | 3 |
| The waste pipe of sink untrapped and insanitary | 1 |
| The waste pipe of lavatory or bath defective | 14 |
| The water cistern defective | 2 |
| An accumulation or deposit of refuse dangerous or injurious to health | 10 |
| The drain choked | 44 |
| The rainwater pipe defective | 40 |
| The roof defective so a s to be insanitary | 120 |
| Nuisance from the keeping of animals | 3 |
| The guttering defective so as to be insanitary | 42 |
| The house without a proper water supply | 2 |
| The drain defective so as to be insanitary | 4 |
ATMOSPHERIC pollution
During the year under review the Department have continued to carry out measurements of
atmospheric pollution. Monthly readings were taken of sulphur dioxide by means of a lead
peroxide candle and of deposited impurities by a standard deposit gauge. Daily readings were
taken of sulphur dioxide and of smoke by volumetric means, and during fog short period readings
were made to assist investigations being carried out by the Department of Scientific and Industrial
Research. Details of the readings for the year are shown in Tables 1, 2 and 3.
Part of the Clean Air Act 1956 came into force on the last day of that year. One of the
most important provisions of the Act is that which enables local authorities to form Smoke Control
Areas and preliminary investigations were made into its application to such areas in Stoke
Newington. As a result, a scheme was prepared for an area in the northern part of the Borough
covering approximately 150 acres and including over 2,000 dwellings.
The proposals were submitted to the Minister of Housing and Local Government who gave
provisional approval for the area. Thereafter a detailed survey of the premises in the area
was commenced. The extent of the proposed Smoke Control Area is shown in the Map figure 1.
The area contains a high proportion of houses already fitted with approved appliances
designed to burn smokeless fuel and it is therefore possible to deal with this substantial portion
of the Borough without an excessive number of adaptations. The development of the area is
almost complete and this, together with its excellent lay-out and situation, were also factors
in deciding on the initial Smoke Control Area. It is the intention of the Council to follow
this up with a programme of successive areas.