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

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Woolwich 1920

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]

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112
Grade 3. Generally dilapidated, damp, dark, and
dirty, but subject to remedies either under
Sec. 28 of the Housing, Town Planning
Etc. Act, 1919, or the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891 988
Grade 4. Few defects, capable of being remedied
under the Public Health (London) Act,
1891 1,258
Grade 5. Satisfactory 371
Total 2,680
The above conclusions have been drawn up by the Survey
Inspectors from the records on the cards, and from a personal
knowledge of the houses inspected, but it must be appreciated
that there is always difficulty in drawing a hard and
fast line in such an analysis, and the conclusions should be
accepted only as a provisional analysis of the work that has
been done. For instance, the conclusion that there are 63
houses that are regarded as unfit for human habitation must
not be interpreted that they must be the subject of a Closing
Order now, but that the extent of the defects in each house
indicates the necessity for action with respect to closing or
demolition when it is possible for this aspect to be considered.
In the case of houses described as unfit for human habitation,
the defects that render them in this condition are in many
cases associated with the fact that they are old houses,
with, for example, small rooms, floors below ground level
in congested areas, inadequate hght and ventilation, old
structures, dilapidated staircases, or sagging roofs, etc., etc.
Any defects, however, such as a leaky roof, requiring immediate
attention, have of course been attended to. Only the
necessary immediate work has been carried out in such cases
so that the spirit and the policy of the Ministry of Health has