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STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE BOROUGH, 1962
Area in acres (including 116 acres of foreshore of River
Thames and 24 acres of inland water) 2,449.5
Population - Census 1931 62,617
Population - Census 1951 59,367
Population - Census 1961 54,833
Population - Registrar General's Estimate for area (Mid 196 2) 55, 200
Number of Inhabited Houses according to Rate Book (April 1961)... 16,662
(including shops with dwelling accommodation)
Rateable Value at 1.4.62 £1,386,435
Sum produced by Id Rate (1961 - 1962) £5,575
The Borough is divided into nine Wards;
BRENTFORD Brentford East
Brentford West
Brentford Central
CHISWICK: Chiswick Park
Grove Park
Bedford Park
Gunnersbury
Old Chiswick
Turnham Green
The Borough of Brentford and Chiswick, which is bounded on the south by
the River Thames, is a district with much variety of character with its western
part more industrial in character and its eastern part more residential. The
skyline of the long river frontage is altering with the appearance of new skyscraper
office blocks but there is a splendid stretch of unspoiled river land
along most of the length of the Borough, In the Brentford end, industry is
served also by the Grand Union Canal as it reaches its outlet to the Thames, and
two great main roads carry traffic east and west while in 1962 to improve traffic
conditions in the Borough, the building of a road on stilts was begun, the first
major one of this kind in or near London, although the need for these has been
evident for many years
There are 620 25 acres of open space within the borough with ample facilities
for refreshment and recreation both for the public in general and for the sporting
activities of particular groups The proportion of open space to the total
area of the Borough is approximately 25%, a very reasonable proportion for an
urban area.
In the 1961 Census Report, which recently became available, the density of
the population of the Borough is down as 23.5 persons per acre compared with
25,5 persons per acre in 1951 The Census figures also show the effects of slum
clearance over the years, i.e. the number of families sharing a common water
tap or requiring to go outside for water has decreased from 5,631 in 1951 to
1,033 in 1961, this in spite of the increase in multiple occupation of houses
which has been rising during these years; the number of families sharing a fixed
bath has dropped from 4,782 to 3,952, but although the number of families who
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