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Child guidance units
To provide better facilities the following child guidance units were established
or planned:—
Division 1. 25, Stratford Road, Kensington.—The building was acquired by the
Council and opened on 24th August. The existing unit in Bishop Creighton
House, Fulham, which had worked in very restricted quarters, was transferred to the
new premises.
Division 8. Water Lane, Brixton.—Work was commenced on the conversion of
the former Brixton Provident Dispensary premises, which the Council had purchased,
to provide a large unit which, in association with the Maudsley Hospital, will be
used for postgraduate teaching purposes.
Division 9. 6, Cambridge Road, Battersea.—Vacant accommodation in the possession
of the Council was brought into use on 3rd October, and the unit accommodated
at Putney Health Centre transferred there.
Office accommodation
The following changes in office accommodation were made during the year :—
Division 1.—Sub-office accommodation at 94, Kensington High St., was vacated
at the request of the Kensington borough council, and an annual tenancy taken of
accommodation at the Red House, Hornton Street, W.8.
Division 2.—In anticipation of the vacation of 33-35, Lancaster Grove, Hampstead,
at the expiration of the lease in September, 1951, negotiations were entered
into for the taking of a seven-year lease of accommodation at 251-253, Finchley
Road, Hampstead, for use as a sub-office. The head-lease is held by the Restaurants
and Catering Committee, the ground and first floors being used as a civic restaurant.
Division 5.—The sub-office at 2, Salmon Lane, Stepney, long regarded as
unsatisfactory, was vacated and a suite of three modern offices taken at 532-534,
Commercial Road.
Division 6.—At the request of the Woolwich borough council, alternative
accommodation to that held at Woolwich Town Hall was sought, and arrangements
were made for domestic help staff to be housed partly in Rusthall Lodge and partly
at the Health Centre, Market Street, Woolwich.
Division 8.—Shop premises at 376, Brixton Road were leased for a period of
21 years, and brought into use as a sub-office.
Division 9.—Shop premises at 52, Fairfield Street, Wandsworth, were taken into
use and negotiations begun for the leasing of 50, Fairfield St., to relieve overcrowding
at the main divisional offices.
Schemes in preparation
The recommendations made by the Local Government Manpower Committee
to simplify the means of obtaining the sanction of the Ministry of Health to local
authorities' capital building projects led to the introduction of a revised procedure
for the submission of schemes to the Ministry. The new procedure will normally
obviate, except in the case of health centres, the submission of plans, bills of quantities,
etc. and instead of the details of each project being submitted individually,
particulars of all work proposed for a year's programme will be submitted at one time
with a view to approval being given for the work to commence in the following
financial year. The annual programme will normally be submitted in November but,