London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Willesden 1961

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]

This page requires JavaScript

9
The arrangements for sewage disposal are adequate and also those for sewerage with minor exceptions
due to local flooding. Remedial works are under consideration.
Refuse disposal
The Borough Engineer's Department deals with the provisions of dustbins.
Refuse is disposed of by controlled tipping at Yiewsley ; house refuse is collected weekly and trade
refuse as often as required at an agreed charge.
Household arrangements
The decennial census was taken on the 24th April, 1961, and when the results are published much
useful information on Willesden's housing problems will be available to the Council. The census report for
the County of Middlesex published in 1951 and the housing report for England and Wales clearly showed
Willesden's problem as compared with the rest of the Country (see report for 1956).
(a) Shared dwellings and overcrowding
About six out of ten households in Willesden share a dwelling. This is higher than the average for
the county and for Greater London (about three out of ten) and much higher than England and Wales (less
than two out of ten).
The number of persons per room is higher than that of Greater London, England and Wales, and
any district in the county, and the percentage of population and of households at densities over 1½ and 2
persons per room is the highest in the county, in some instances the percentage is more than double.
(b) Bathrooms
The proportion of households either sharing or without a fixed bath (six out of ten) is almost double
that of the average of the county, and is much higher that that of Greater London and England and Wales
(about four out of ten).
The proportion sharing or without a water closet, cooking stove or a kitchen sink is higher than
the average for the County of Middlesex.
Gardens
Willesden is poorly equipped with public open spaces; 242 acres compared with an estimated need
of 1,313 acres ; yet one in four families have no garden at all, and a large number have to share a garden.
Swimming baths
The Borough Engineer has kindly supplied the following information in respect of the three swimming
baths in the borough.
The water for filling the baths is obtained from the mains supply. It is regularly chlorinated and
plant of sufficient capacity to insure breakdown conditions is installed at each bath. The capacity of each
bath and the time taken for the whole of the water to pass through the filters and treatment plant is as
follows: —
Time taken for water to pass
Capacity through filters, etc
(gallons) (hours)
Granville Road Baths 145,000 3½
Gladstone Park Swimming Pool 500,000 11
King Edward's Recreation Ground Swimming Pool 350,000 6½

403 samples were taken, 8 of which were unsatisfactory (see Public Health Laboratory Service, page 5).

Swimming bathSamples takenSatisfactoryUnsatisfactory
Granville Road2412338
Gladstone Park8383
King Edward's Park7979

SANITARY SECTION
Staff
The establishment of Public Health Inspectors includes the Chief Public Health Inspector, the Deputy
Chief Public Health Inspector, eighteen district Inspectors and five pupils. Twelve of the posts of district
Inspector are graded APT. IV; the holders must have had at least ten years' experience and the Smoke Inspectors'
Certificate in addition to the statutory qualification and the Meat and Other Foods Certificate. The
remaining posts are graded APT. II for those with only the statutory qualification, and APT. Ill for those
who have the Meat and Other Foods Certificate as well.
At the beginning of the year there was one vacancy on APT. II or III, and during the year two
Inspectors on APT. Ill and one on APT. IV resigned. The vacancy on APT. IV was quickly filled but it was
only possible to fill one of the other three vacancies.