London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Battersea 1919
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea, Metropolitan Borough of]
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75
I have lately brought to the notice of the Health Committee
the existence of certain areas in the lower Wards, which,
in my opinion, are either unhealthy areas or are rapidly becoming
so, and the Housing Sub-Committee have inspected
some of these areas.
Heretofore it has not been an easy matter for Local
Authorities to deal with slum areas. The procedure was
cumbersome, officially and legally dilatory, and the cost
generally prohibitive. Action has had, therefore, to be confined
to the closing and demolition of individual houses, and,
prior to the war, a good deal of necessary action in this
direction was carried out by the Council. The new Act has
greatly simplified the procedure under Parts I. and II. of the
principal Act, and, furthermore and not less important, the
clearance of slum areas will rank for financial assistance from
the Government.
This fact provides, in my opinion, an unique opportunity
to the Council for the gradual clearance of the slum areas of
the Borough. There are scattered groups of houses in the
lower Wards which are, owing to the bad arrangement, faulty
construction, old, worn-out, dilapidated, verminous and generally
unhealthy state of many or all of the houses, unfit for
human habitation. These areas should be considered for
inclusion in the Council's Outline Scheme, and appended is
submitted for consideration a list of the areas which, in my
opinion, may be found suitable for action under the Council's
Housing Scheme, under Part II.
If the number of houses to be dealt with in an unhealthy
area exceeds ten houses, the Authority to deal with the unhealthy
area is the (London) County Council. Smaller areas,
containing ten houses or less, are dealt with by the Borough
Council.
Many, if not all of the insanitary areas in the Borough,
can probably be dealt with by pulling down the worst houses
and making the remainder fit for habitation. In view of the
shortage of houses now prevailing, as pointed out in previous
reports to the Health Committee, I recommend that the less
drastic procedure be followed, i.e., action under Part II. of
the Housing Act, 1890. In my opinion, so far as Battersea's
housing needs are concerned under present conditions, a
gradual process of elimination of the more unfit houses and
the raising of the standard of habitable repair of the
remaining houses to a reasonable level, will be found to be
sufficient in most cases to deal with the existing housing situation.
It should, however, be borne in mind that any steps by
the Council to deal with insanitary areas will, having regard
to the housing shortage, in my judgment, be contingent upon
| (a) By householders | Nil |
| (b) In the case of Rural Parishes by Parish Council | Nil |
| 2. Action under Section IT of the Housing Act of 1909— | |
| (a) Number of houses inspected under and for the purpose of this section | 259 |
| (6) Number of dwelling-houses which were considered to be unfit for human habitation | 4 |
| - | |
| 3. Action under Section 28 of the Housing Act of 1919— | |
| (a) Number of orders for repairs issued | |
| (b) Number of cases in which repairs were carried out by the Local Authority | Nil |
| Nil | |
| 4. Closing Orders — | |
| (a) Number of Representations made | Nil |
| (b) Number of dwelling-houses in regard to which closing orders were determined on the houses being made fit for habitation | Nil |
| 5. Demolition Orders— | |
| (a) Number of demolition orders made | Nil |
| Nil | |
| 6. Number of dwelling-houses demolished voluntarily | Nil |