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
Wembley 1935
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wembley]
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REPORT ON THE PREVENTION AND ABATEMENT
OF OVERCROWDING.
HOUSING ACT, 1935.
In November last I gave you in brief the chief clauses
of this Act so far as it relates to overcrowding, setting out
the new standard which is to apply to the whole country.
The Act imposes on every Local Authority the duty of carrying
out an inspection of their district within a period to be
fixed by the Ministry (the date fixed was the 1st April, 1936),
in order to ascertain what houses are overcrowded and of
reporting the result to the Minister with their proposals for
supplying new houses or flats where necessary to abate the
overcrowding. The overcrowding standard consists of two
parts:—
1. Sufficient sleeping accommodation to secure proper
sex separation.
2. A standard of capacity irrespective of sex.
The number of persons permitted to occupy a house ?s
set out in the following Tables:—
Table I.
Where a house consists of: —
| The permitted number of persons is:— | |
|---|---|
| (a) One room | 2 |
| (b) Two rooms | 3 |
| (c) Three rooms | 5 |
| (d) Four rooms | 2 |
| (e) Five rooms or more | 10 with an additional 2 in respect of each room in excess of five. |
(In using this Table, a room of less than 50 square feet is not
counted as a room).
Table II.
Where a room in a house has a floor area of: —
| 2 | |
| (b) 90 sq.ft. or more,but less than 110 | 4 |
| (c) 70 sq.ft. or more,but less than 90 | 1 |
| NIL |