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GENERAL STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS
The London Borough of Enfield covers an area of 20,061 acres and has an
estimated population of 267,660 and a rateable value of £17,798,367.
Development is well balanced with a wide variety of environmental conditions,
ranging from open country, through residential property of all kinds, commercial
premises, and shopping centres to industrial areas.
Considerable advances were made in providing improved and additional
amenities throughout the Borough. Reference is made elsewhere in this report to
the opening early in the year of Hadley Wood Clinic and the Windsmill Recuperative
Hostel, which are valuable additions to the planned development of local health
services. Housing development included the erection of four tower blocks containing
in all 250 dwellings. Much needed new car parks have been provided.
The transport network serving the Borough comprises an underground, three
suburban and two main railway lines and numerous bus routes.
Two trunk roads cross the Borough, one from east to west and the other from
north to south. One first-class road runs north to south and important metropolitan
roads run east to west.
The Borough is well provided with educational, cultural and recreational
facilities.
Considerable works of renovation have been undertaken at Forty Hall. This
fine seventeenth century mansion, the house of a former Lord Mayor of London,
was acquired by the former Enfield Urban District Council in 1951 and adapted
for use as a museum. It is now developing into a centre for cultural activities within
the Borough. The new swimming bath in Winchmore Hill Road, Southgate, is
modern in design and construction, completely up to date in equipment and may
well be regarded with no little satisfaction and local pride by the people of Enfield.
The Borough is well provided with parks and open spaces and at its northern
border is Green Belt land.
The main public building is the Civic Centre, Silver Street, Enfield, which
contains the Mayor's Suite, the Council Chamber, Committee rooms and the
department of the Town Clerk. The other departments of the Council are housed
separately in premises throughout the Borough.
VITAL STATISTICS
Births
The total number of live births during the year was 4,241, giving a crude birth
rate of 15.84 and a standardised birth rate of 16.47, compared with the rate for
England and Wales of 17.7.
The percentage of illegitimate live births at 5.98 is roughly about the national
average.
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