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Section A—Natural and Social
Conditions of the District.
Area (in acres) 3,346
Number of inhabited houses (end of 1952)
according to Rate Books 16,913
Rateable Value at 31st December, 1952 £516,771
Sum represented by 1d. rate £2,111
THE Sanitary District, situated about midway between the Thames
and the North Downs, is roughly rectangular in shape. It is approximately
one mile in width, and commencing at a datum level of 72 at
the northern boundary, it extends for some five miles in a southerly
direction up the slope of the North Downs to a height of 450 feet above
sea level.
The subsoil, which is clay in the northern part, changes to a sandy
gravel as one proceeds southwards, and then merges into chalk, which
covers the southern half of the district.
The River Wandle forms the eastern boundary in the northern
part and arises from several springs at the outcropping of the chalk near
the centre of the district. An adequate rainfall prevented the complete
failure of these springs during the year and the district was spared the
unfortunate experience of some recent years when the ornamental
ponds, which are a feature of considerable amenity to the centre of the
district, were converted into stagnant mud patches with their consequent
risk to public health.
The district is to a large extent a dormitory area for London.
Except for the southern part, where a considerable area is included in
the Green Belt, it is highly urbanised, the housing density increasing as
one proceeds northwards. The few remaining small areas of available
building land are rapidly being developed and the scope for relieving
overcrowding by building within the district is now almost exhausted.
A large part of the housing accommodation is occupied by workers
in the lower income groups, the London County Council's Estate
comprising 5,600 dwellings, making a large contribution to this type of
development. The average rateable value per head of population is
among the lowest in Surrey.
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