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Financial restrictions obliged the Council to defer plans for the erection of replacement
buildings and the building of new purpose-designed centres has been largely confined to
those areas where expanding population or the development of new housing estates has
created a new and urgent demand for services. The Council approved a number of schemes
for the incorporation of purpose-designed clinics and day nurseries in ground floor accommodation
in blocks of flats. Details of schemes in new housing developments are given
in table (iii).
Day nurseries
Most day nurseries transferred in 1948 were established in haste during the war in
requisitioned premises or in prefabricated buildings. Although the extent of day nursery
provision in London has been appreciably reduced during the past decade, it will be noted
from table (v) that effective steps have been taken during this period to place the service
on a more secure basis. In addition to providing the new day nursery buildings named
in tables (i) and (iii), the Council carried out much needed improvements to the standards of
improvised day nursery accommodation in the interests of the care and well being of the
children and to promote economy and efficiency in administration.
Mental health services
The 12 training centres for mentally subnormal persons administered by the Council
since 1931 were closed during the war. Although war damage and other difficulties prevented
the reopening of centres until 1948, by 1958 there were 21 centres established
throughout the county. Six were accommodated in adapted buildings owned by the Council
and the remainder in hired premises which in many cases were not entirely suitable. With
the passing of the Mental Health Act, 1959, the provision of mental health service premises
was given high priority in the formulation of building programmes incorporated in the
ten-year plans (1962-1972 and 1964-1974) for the development of the health and welfare
services. The programmes included provision for the replacement of all junior training
centres in unsatisfactory premises by purpose-built centres, with sufficient additional
places to permit a lowering of the age for admission and with special care units for subnormal
children suffering from additional handicaps, physical or otherwise. All adult
centres were to be housed in premises owned or leased exclusively by the Council with extra
places to meet rising demand. The revised building programme for the ten years to 1974
included projects for 18 training centres for the mentally subnormal.
The Council recognised that it was too early to determine the ultimate numbers of
buildings required for the mental health service but included in the revised building
programme initial provision for a further 22 hostels (envisaging a total of 26 by 1974),
15 day centres and six day rehabilitation centres.
Table (i) gives details of the building projects for the mental health services during the
years 1948-1964 and the projects at earlier stages of progress at the end of 1964.
As the mental health services have been built up it has been found necessary to rent
premises on short leases to meet the demand for new and additional services until such
time as these can be accommodated in purpose-built or adapted premises. In addition to
those listed in table (i) the following have been opened:
Newlands adult training centre (women), Wandsworth, opened in 1962.
Hindle House, Hackney; St. Giles, Camberwell and Rushey Green, Lewisham day centres were
opened in 1964.
Bishop Creighton House Psychiatric Social Club, Fulham opened in 1963 and a part-time social
club at The Saville, Lewisham in 1964.
Ambulance service
Despite the limitations placed on capital works, substantial progress was made in
restoring war damaged buildings and in providing the new ambulance stations (see table (i))
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