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Section A—Natural and Social
Conditions of the District
Area (in acres) 3,346
Estimated number of inhabited houses (end of 1962)
according to Rate Books 17,602*
Rateable Value at 31st December, 1962 £884,339
Sum represented by Id. rate £3,603
(*Includes 256 combined with business premises for rating.)
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,
one head of the river arising from several springs at the outcropping of the
chalk near the centre of the district. The flow over the weir in the Grove
grounds was slightly less than half that in 1961, but 1961 was a year with an
exceptional high flow. Although some of the springs failed during the year
for varying periods, not all dried up at any time and some flow was maintained
throughout the year. With the ever increasing demand for water
both locally and in the London basin generally, if additional supplies are
drawn from the underground sources, the prospects are that the ornamental
spring fed waters in the centre of the town will suffer increasing depletion.
The district is largely residential and to a considerable extent is a
dormitory for London. Little industry is established in the area as is
evidenced by the fact that under the recent Rating Revaluation only 3%
of the total rateable value is in respect of industrial premises whilst 76%
is in respect of domestic premises. The lower income groups form a
substantial part of the total and although the population fell by more than
5,000 in the intercensal period 1951—1961, the average number of persons
per room occupied is the highest but one in Surrey. The three St. Helier
wards are the most densely populated, all having more than 0.8 persons
per room compared with 0.69 for the district as a whole. The St. Helier
north ward which has a substantial number of two bed roomed houses
has 10.6% of its population housed at a density of more than 1 ½ persons
per room.
The fall in population in the last decade is mainly due to the lack
of housing development within the area since the district is to all intents
and purposes completely built up. The only significant sized vacant plots
of land are either in the green belt or are public open spaces. Consequently
young married people have to find houses elsewhere leaving a district
populated by an increasingly older population.
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