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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21
Since the programme was submitted, the Council have added 66 houses in Albert Road and 76 houses
in Denmark Road to the list of Clearance areas.
Overcrowding
There has been little change in the extent of overcrowding, which still remains acute. The Council
found it necessary to issue only a few licences to permit temporary overcrowding under section 61 of the
Housing Act; landlords are no longer using this section to obtain an eviction order because they realise that
the Court is inclined to deal sympathetically with tenants
Licences to permit temporary overcrowding in excess of the permitted number, section 61, Housing
Act, 1936: licences issued 6 (5)
(1954 in brackets)
The Housing Department have supplied the following details of' overcrowding in the area which
have been based mainly on the statements of applicants for new houses:—
(a) Dwellings overcrowded at end of year 1,991
(b) Overcrowding reported during the year 63
(c) (i) Overcrowding relieved during the year 58
(ii) Persons approx. 232
(d) Dwelling houses which have again become overcrowded after the local authority have taken
steps for the abatement of overcrowding No information
(e) (i) Council houses found to be overcrowded at end of year 53
(ii) Families 76
(iii) Persons 456
(f) Overcrowding in Council houses relieved duringthe year 10
New Dwellings 1955
| Houses | Flats | Rebuilds | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings built by private builders (excluding those built by the police authorities) | 3 | 14 | Nil | |
| Built by local authority | Nil | 26 | Nil | |
| Applicants on Council's waiting list at 31.12.55 | 10,645 | |||
| Housing Defects | ||||
| 1955 | 1954 | |||
| Premises inspected on complaint | 3,319 | 3,522 | ||
| For infectious diseases | 607 | 419 | ||
| Others (includes Lower Place survey, i.e., 133) | 196 | 416 | ||
| Under special survey (see page 19) | 1,129 | 1,761 | ||
| Total number of premises | 5,251 | 6,118 | ||
| No. of inspections (inclusive of Housing Survey) | 22,296 | 22,950 | ||
Notices served under Public Health and Housing Acts, 1936
| Inclusive of Housing Survey | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 1954 | |
| Intimation notices served | 2,009 | 2,277 |
| Intimation notices complied with | 1,910 | 1,918 |
| Statutory notices served (Public Health Act, 1936) | 965 | 1,111 |
| Statutory notices complied with (Public Health Act, 1936) | 983 | 989 |
| Statutory notices served (Housing Act, 1936) | 691 | 1,049 |
| Statutory notices complied with (Housing Act, 1936) | 1,060 | 370 |
| Non-compliance with statutory notices referred to Town Clerk (Public Health Act, 1936, sec. 93) | 147† | 169† |
| Referred to the Borough Engineer for work to be carried out in default of owners *129 work done by Borough Engineer. | 244* | 205 |
| fDetails of cases referred to the Town Clerk during year. | ||
| Work carried out | 75 | 88 |
| Work in hand | 8 | 8 |
| Court orders obtained | 20 | 20 |
| Summonses issued and outstanding at 31.12.55 | 3 | - |
| Summonses withdrawn—notices complied with | 24 | 24 |
| (8) | (4) | |
| Proceedings pending | 9 | 25 |
| Total | 147 | 169 |
| (The figures in brackets are the notices withdrawn and reserved) | ||