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acres. In order to provide for the relocation of population and the commercial and
other interests displaced from parts of the area, the Council has proceeded with the
acquisition of land contiguous or adjacent to the redevelopment area, and during
the year the Council approved schemes for the erection of 122 dwellings on the
south side of Lord Warwick Street, 49 dwellings in Rectory Place and 24 in St.
Mary's Street.
The Council's agreed slum clearance programme for the period 1951-1956 is
to be followed by a further 5-year programme. Detailed proposals to cover this
further programme to be undertaken by the Borough Council are now being
formulated.
During the year, much valuable information concerning the housing and social
conditions in the Borough was made available in the County of London Census
Report for 1951, and several interesting facts and figures are included in summary
form in the body of my report. Largely due to the housing activities of the Council
during the last 20 years there has been an increase of 33 per cent. in the number
of dwellings in the Borough. Overcrowding and congestion have been reduced,
and although we can still see many inadequate houses overdue for clearance, it is
gratifying to know that there are fewer congested housing conditions than in most
other areas in London.
There are now nearly 16,000 persons residing in the Borough over the age of
65, an increase of over 6,000 during the last 20 years. Happily, the great majority
of these persons are able to get about reasonably well, and apart from occasional
ill health can attend to most of their needs. Those who, through force of circumstances
such as ill health, are unable to look after themselves, receive assistance
from the Department and from other statutory and voluntary workers. Every
case coming to our attention is immediately visited, and where circumstances
warrant it, assistance and advice are readily given. There is, of course, close cooperation
between the Council's staff, the County Council Health and Welfare
services, the Hospital service, the general practitioners and the voluntary agencies
concerned with old people. We are indebted to these bodies for much ready help
in easing awkward problems. To an increasing extent the welfare of old people is
being looked to in Woolwich, whether by means of more frequent home visitation,
holidays and other outings, entertainment, lunch club facilities and Darby and Joan
Clubs, or in dealing with personal problems, and in numerous other ways the workers
in this field are helping to make the lives of these persons more comfortable.
During the year, accidents in the home and in factories were responsible for the
deaths of 27 Woolwich residents. Although this is a slight improvement on the
figure for the previous year, many of these accidents could have been avoided. The
majority of accidents were to elderly persons from falls at home. Other common
causes were burns and accidents sustained at work.
During the year the Council set up five air pollution recording and measuring
stations. Each will furnish monthly information on the amount of pollution.
Officers of the Health Department are increasingly engaged in advising on the
correct working of industrial fuel burning plant, and in acquainting members of the
public of the benefits to be derived from the use of smokeless fuel.
The Council's Health Education officers have again had a busy year. By the
use of films and film strips, supplemented by informal talks, the work of the local
authority, and particularly in relation to public health, is kept constantly before
the public. Some of the most well received programmes are those dealing generally
with the public health services, and with food hygiene and home accident prevention.
Altogether 81 film programmes and 15 informal talks were presented during the year,
in addition to several showings at local Civil Defence Centres. Repeat visits by the
Council's Health Education Unit have been requested by several organisations ;
so much so that this service has more and more become recognised as an essential
part of the work of the Health Department.
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