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housing needs of the people and use is also made of New Town housing. The estimated
population has been considered to be falling each year since the last Census, but with the
increase in multi-occupation of houses, combined with the fact that very few houses
have been demolished compared to the number built, it will be interesting to get the
Census figure from the 1961 count.
The factories sited in the Borough include large food factories and engineering works,
chemical works, paint, dye and woodworks, manufacturing chemists, laundries, etc.
No scheduled offensive trades are at present carried on in Southall.
Unemployment has not been a problem in Southall. Figures obtained by courtesy
of the Manager of the Southall Employment Exchange and the Youth Employment
Officer are as follows:—
Men Women
Number of persons registered as unemployed at
Southall Employment Exchange on 12th
December, 1960 122 50
Number of unfilled vacancies as at 7th December,
1960 267 64
On 12th December, 1960, one girl and five boys were registered as unemployed.
On 7th December, 1960, 77 boys' vacancies and 61 girls' vacancies were unfilled.
Swimming Bath
The Southall Borough Council maintains an outdoor swimming pool in the Recreation
Ground, which is one of the public parks, and this pool is used very fully during the
summer months. The surface area of the bath is 3,600 square feet (120 feet by 30 feet).
cubic capacity 16,500 cubic feet (110,000 gallons). The water is treated by break point
chlorination and the normal chlorine content of 1.0 parts per million at the shallow end
and 0.7 at the deep end is maintained. During peak periods this is increased to 4.0 parts
per million at the shallow end in order to obtain 2.0 parts per million at the deep end.
A minimum of three samples of the water are taken daily by the staff of the Baths Superintendent
for chlorine and other chemical testing, and from time to time bacteriological
testing is carried out by officers from the Public Health Department. At no time during
1960 was the water found to be unsatisfactory for use by swimmers. As this bath is
closed during the winter months it can be fully emptied and repaired, if necessary, and
cleansed each year before the spring opening. During 1960 the total number of persons
using the bath was 29,242 (61,277 in 1959). The average number of persons attending
per day was 192. The maximum number at any one session was 300. The attendance
during 1960, although half that for the previous year, was very good considering how
cold and wet the whole summer season was. Swimming, a most healthful exercise,
increases in popularity each year amongst the young people of Southall.
Paddling Pool
A paddling pool for young children is available in Cranleigh Gardens Play Park
The capacity of the pool is approximately 15,500 gallons with depth from 1½ inches to
9 inches. The water of the pool is free running and is treated by continuous chlorination
for hygiene purposes. Like the swimming bath, this pool was in constant and very full
use during the summer of 1960. Bacteriological sampling when carried out gave
satisfactory results.
School Playing Fields
For the physical training, school games and recreation of school children the total
acreage of school playing fields in Southall is approximately 22. At present considerable
use is also made of the play parks within the Council's public parks and negotiations
are still proceeding for the acquisition of three further areas of land suitable for playing
fields.
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