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SPECIAL REPORTS
Housing and Health
It is a sad commentary that in an age of outer space exploration the average couple about
to get married find it difficult to secure suitable housing accommodation to set up a home of their
own, that large numbers of household have no bath, and that the W.C. is only accessible by way of
the back garden. Ever-increasing numbers of would-be tenants hopefully look to the Local
Authority for housing accommodation. All too frequently psychological disorders, as well as
respiratory ailments, are blamed upon unsuitable housing, with the underlying imputation that
provision of additional housing to the community might lessen demands upon the hospital and
allied services.
In general, due to land shortage within the Borough, quantity can only be increased by
erection of high blocks of dwellings on sites formerly occupied by poor quality or obsolescent
houses. But quality must also be considered. Standards of living have risen very considerably
during the last twenty years. Tastes, aspirations and habits are subject to constant change, but
dwelling houses in general remain as before — symbolic of the thinking of the date of their
erection — unchanged. The role of the Local Authority in the field of housing therefore becomes
of increasing importance, and of all their statutory duties and responsibilities none is more onerous
than that which concerns the replacement of obsolescent housing. With an acute awareness of the
problem, progress was made to deal with obsolescent and outworn properties during the year. The
Cathall Road Slum Clearance project has been phased to meet the building programme over a number
of years, and in May the Ministry of Housing and Local Government confirmed the Leyton Housing
(Cathall Road No.l) Compulsory Purchase Order in respect of two hundred and twenty-six premises,
occupying approximately 9.0 acres.
An official representation in respect of two Clearance Areas, together with reports and
details of unfitness of dwellings, was submitted to the (Leyton) Public Health Committee during
the year and the Leyton Housing (Cathall Road No.2) Compulsory Purchase Order was declared.
This is the second stage. It consists of one hundred and sixty-one dwelling houses and one other
building, together with added lands situated on approximately 10.50 acres in Holloway Road (part),
Argyle Street (part), Granville Street (part), Trinity Street (part), Cathall Road (part), Lascelles
Road, Florence Road and Gladstone Street.
Most of the dwelling houses were two-storey type, with single or two-storey back additions,
and situated in terraces. Some dwellings had basements which opened out to the rear yard. All
houses had through ventilation and yard space at the rear. Construction was traditional. The
brick walls had slated, asbestos or tiled, pitched or central valley gutter roofs. The floors were
generally of timber, except scullery floors, which were usually concrete. Internal accommodation
varied from four rooms and scullery to nine rooms. With the exception of eleven houses, all W.C.'s
were entered externally. Twenty-four houses had baths. Main water supply was provided over
scullery sinks. The majority of the houses in these areas had been built between 1875 and 1894
and suffered from external and/or internal bad arrangements. All the houses contained inherent
structural defects and fell short of the requirements of the Housing Acts. The most satisfactory
method of dealing with conditions in the areas was the demolition of all buildings in the areas.
The Minister of Housing and Local Government ordered a Public Local inquiry on the 7th
December 1965, in order that the objectors and other interested persons had an opportunity to be
heard. The Minister's decision is awaited.
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