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

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St Pancras 1932

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]

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64
Somers Town Housing Scheme— Wolcot Street Area.
The block of dwellings which was erected on a portion of the main courtyard at the
Somers Town Estate, was completed on 25th July, 1932. It was named "Morland House,"
in commemoration of George Morland, the celebrated painter, who lived in the Borough for
many years, and comprises 18 flats. This is the sixth block of dwellings to be erected by the
Borough Council in this area and completes the development of their estate in Somers Town,
which now consists of 33 two-room Hats, 95 three-room flats, and 14 four-room flats, a total
of 142 flats, comprising 704 rooms.
Leighton Road Housing Scheme.
The London County Council and the Ministry of Health have sanctioned the Borough
Council's scheme for the erection of working class dwellings on the site acquired for housing
purposes in Leighton Road and Lady Margaret Road. The approved scheme, as submitted by
the Council's Architect, Mr. A. J. Thomas, f.r.i.b.a., comprises 6 two-room flats, 28 threeroom
flats and 30 four-room flats, a total of 64 flats, comprising 216 rooms, the original scheme
having been remodelled in order to provide for the maximum number of three and four-room
flats, as it was felt that the greatest demand was for accommodation of this capacity. The
Council have decided, in addition to the electric lighting supply, to provide an electric supply
for cooking, heating and hot water. A contract has been entered into with Messrs. Gee,
Walker & Slater, Ltd., for carrying out the building work, and it is anticipated that the first
half of the estate will be completed in the autumn of 1933.
London County Council Housing Estates.
The Borough Council continue to avail themselves of the preferential treatment which
is given to bad cases of overcrowding and special hardship when recommended to the London
County Council. Since the initiation of this scheme in January, 1925, the number of St.
Pancras families who have been housed under this arrangement up to December, 1932, is 838.
It will, of course, be appreciated that in addition a number of St. Pancras families make direct
application to the County Council, and in many cases accommodation is obtained by this
method.
Housing Schemes in the Borough.
Seven estates have been developed by the Borough Council in St. Pancras, under the
provisions of the various Housing Acts, comprising a total of 644 flats. Three estates were
developed in the pre-war period, with a total of 211 flats, and four estates during the post-war
period, comprising 433 flats, and, as already recorded, a further estate is now in course of
development at Leighton Road.
The London County Council, during the pre-war period, controlled 180 flats in the
Borough, and in their Somers Town scheme, which is in course of development, there are
already 246 flats in occupation. The Commissioners of Crown Lands have erected 246 flats in
the Cumberland Market Area (which includes Swinley House, practically completed in the
year under review); and the St. Pancras House Improvement Society, Ltd., have already
completed 164 flats in the Somers Town Area.
The London County Council are proceeding with their housing activities in the
Ossulston Street Area, and it is understood that their estate, when completed, will comprise
481 tenements, so that there remain 234 tenements to be erected on this estate. A fourth
block of flats, "Windsor House," is now being erected by the Commissioners of Crown Lands
and will comprise 98 tenements. The original intention of the Commissioners was to proceed
with further extensive developments in this area. The St. Pancras House Improvement
Society, Ltd., are erecting a further block of 47 flats in Bridgewater Street, Somers Town,