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
Willesden 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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TABLE 2 Defects Requiring Action (1954 in brackets)
| Chimneys | 166 | (367) |
| Roofs | 409 | (652) |
| Gutters and downspouts | 350 | (672) |
| Soil and vent pipes | 112 | (288) |
| Brickwork | 451 | (677) |
| Windows | 653 | (1081) |
| Paving | 229 | (420) |
| Water closets | 231 | (550) |
| Drainage | 22 | (86) |
| Walls and ceilings | 605 | (1020) |
| Floors | 277 | (471) |
| Totals | 3505 | (6284) |
TABLE 3 (1954 in brackets)
| Notices Served | Results of action taken | ||||
| Section 9, Housing Act, 1936 | 592 | (997) | Work completed | 1316* | (367) |
| Section 93, Public Health Act, 1936 | 24 | (17) | Work commenced or negotiations proceeding | 407 | - |
| Section 39, Public Health Act, 1936 | 3 | (5) | Notices served, time limit not expired | 49 | - |
| Section 45, Public Health Act, 1936 | 4 | (14) | Work to be carried our by the Borough Engineer in default | 58 | - |
| Intimation notices | 295, | (247) | Appeal outstanding | - | - |
| Appeal upheld | - | (1) | |||
| 918 | (1280) | 1830 | (368) | ||
| Total | 2198 | Total | 2198 | ||
*Including 54, work carried out by Borough Engineer.
Demolition and Closing Orders
Housing Act, 1936 (Sections 11 and 12) Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions)Act, 1953
(Section 10)
(1954 in brackets)
Demolition Orders—Section 11, Housing Act, 1936 1 (—)
2a and 2b Poplars Avenue
Closing Orders—Section 12, Housing Act, 1936 6 (2)
850 Harrow Road (basement)
852 Harrow Road (basement)
856 Harrow Road (basement)
860 Harrow Road (basement)
862 Harrow Road (basement)
864 Harrow Road (basement)
Closing Orders—Section 10, Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act,
1953 (2)
Determination to Purchase Unfit House in Lieu of making a Demolition
Order—Section 3, Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954 2 (—)
107, Cambridge Road
Devonshire Chambers, Tennyson Road
(At the end of the year negotiations for purchase were proceeding).
Slum Clearance
The Minister of Housing and Local Government required all local authorities to submit, by the 1st
September, 1955, programmes for dealing, within the next five years, with unhealthy areas falling into the
category described in section 25 of the Housing Act, 1936, and for dealing with individual unfit houses falling
into the category described in section 11 of that Act.
The Council submitted the following areas for clearance, i.e.,
Peel Road comprising 6 houses
Granville Road comprising 50 houses
Willesden Lane (part) comprising 23 houses
Victoria Mews comprising 13 houses
and 250 individual houses scattered throughout the Borough.