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
London County Council 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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137
Green, Stepney, North Greenwich and North Woolwich. The third type of high
accommodation rate is connected with Central London areas, particularly Notting
Hill, Earls Court, Fulham and Belgravia, where people employed in the central
business area live.
The lowest accommodation rates in the sample were found in family houses,
where the average is 1.18 persons per room. Islington, Holborn and Finsbury show
accommodation rates ranging from 1.31 to 1.35 persons per room while most of the
County is much below that figure, with Camberwell and Lewisham only up to 1.15
persons per room.
Family
accommodation
rates
according to
type of
dwelling
The accommodation rates in the sample for converted houses were higher than
in any other type of dwelling, averaging 1.54 persons per room for the whole County.
Here again, Islington, Holborn and Finsbury have the highest rates (over 1.66 persons
per room). On the whole, the highest rates are to be found north of the river.
Purpose.built flats show average accommodation rates of 1.50 persons per
room. The highest are in Islington, Finsbury, Holborn, Lambeth, Southwark and
Bermondsey, while the lowest are in Hampstead, St. Pancras, St. Marylebone,
Paddington, Westminster, Battersea and Wandsworth (where most of London's
private blocks of flats are situated).
Table VI
| Health Divisioi No. | Metropolitan Boroughs | Family Houses | Converted Houses in Mutiple Occ. | Purpose. built Flats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | |
| 1 | Chelsea, Fulham, Hammersmith, Kensington | 11.6 | 1.65 | 1.46 |
| 2 | Hampstead, Paddington, St. Marylebone, St. Pancras, Westminster | 1.21 | 1.65 | 1.44 |
| 3 | Finsbury, Islington, Holborn | 1.31 | 1.67 | 1.51 |
| 4 | Hackney, Shoreditch, Stoke Newington | 1.18 | 1.42 | 1.49 |
| 5 | Bethnal Green, City, Poplar, Stepney | 1.26 | 1.56 | 1.47 |
| 6 | I)eptford, Greenwich, Woolwich | 1.18 | 1.53 | 1.50 |
| 7 | Camberwell, Lewisham | 1.14 | 1.37 | 1.42 |
| 8 | Bermondsey, Lambeth, Southwark | 1.17 | 1.48 | 1.55 |
| 9 | Battersea, Wandsworth | 1.16 | 1.42 | 1.30 |
| County | 1.18 | 1.54 | 1.50 |
Table VII
| Rooms | Percentage of Total Number of dwellings in the Sample | Persons Per Room | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) |
| Family houses | 4.5 | 63 | 1.1.1.3 |
| Converted houses in multiple occupation | 2.3 | 75 | 1.4.1.9 |
| Purpose.built flats | 2.3 | 71 | 1.5.1.9 |
Variations of
accommodation
rates
according to
size of
dwelling
Average Accommodation Rates decrease as the size of dwelling increases. Rates
for the most usual type of dwelling are given in the table above.
Conclusions
This sample survey revealed high occupancy rates for many parts of the County.
The most congested areas coincide closely with those already earmarked by the
Council as ready for redevelopment.
The survey, when compared with the persons per acre survey, indicates that
high density of persons per acre does not necessarily mean congestion and overcrowding.
Many areas, where expensive purpose.built flats prevail (e.g., Battersea
Park Mansions, Primrose Hill area, etc.) have high densities of persons an acre and