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HEALTH REPORT FOR 1952.
The Urban District of Coulsdon and Purley was constituted
by an Order of the Local Government Board dated 1st November,
1914, and came into existence on the 7th April, 1915. It has
therefore been a separate District for just over 37 years.
Situated on the North Downs immediately to the south of
Croydon, it is a well-favoured "dormitory" suburb, with a very
considerable proportion of its area forming part of the "Green
Belt". Thanks to successful Town Planning Schemes in
the past there is comparatively little dense development, most
of the houses being well spaced. It is hoped that, as
an outcome of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, it will
continue to possess extensive open spaces, but constant vigilence
is very necessary if the claims on land for housing and other forms
of development are not to be allowed to destroy the green belt
which London has tried, but failed to ensure for the last 300 years.
The majority of the residents who work, do so in London
or Croydon, travelling to and fro daily. Locally there are no
really large manufacturing or other industries, most of the
residents employed in the District being connected with building
and decorating, with the provision of food and the other wants
of the inhabitants, or attached to the mental hospitals. The
amount of unemployment, apart from temporary unemployment
pending transfer, is still negligible.
AREA AND POPULATION.
The District has an area of 11,142 acres, these being distributed
among the wards as follows:-
Coulsdon East 2,812
Coulsdon West 1,253
Kenley 1,292
Purley 685
Sanderstead 2,311
Selsdon and Farleigh 1,924
Woodcote 865
At the time of the 1951 census the population was shown to
be 63,770 and this has only increased slightly since, the mid-year
population for 1952 being estimated by the Registrar-General to
have been 64,180 which is 20 less than his estimate for the preceding
year.
These numbers include persons resident in Institutions in the
District, the numbers of which at the end of 1952 were as follows:-
7