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
Southwark 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, Borough of]
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58
The task of improving the condition of the old houses in Southwark
and keeping them in a habitable condition until other schemes mature
is one of the most important duties of the Public Health Department at
the present time.
The old properties have been searched through many times to find
suitable building sites, but all are either too small for the purpose or are
not capable of accommodating the number of people dehoused.
The general condition of the individual houses has improved as far
as the internal arrangements is concerned, hut the property is old and
rapidly wearing out; in spite of that it is necessary to keep them standing
as long as possible owing to the present lack of accommodation for the
inhabitants. A body of persons calling themselves the Westminster
Survey Group published a pamphlet criticising the housing conditions
of Southwark as the result of a report to them by two ladies who were
engaged on local investigations for a considerable period. I reported on
this criticism to the Housing Committee and include it in this report : —
To the Chairman and Members of the Housing Committee
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg herewith to submit my observations on the report by the
Westminster Survey Group, which are as follows:—
This is an excellent and carefully compiled report on existing
conditions in Southwark, but it is written from one standpoint only,
and while the facts contained in it are all well known to those whose
life and work brings them into contact with the poorer parts of the
district, nothing new has been brought to light.
An equally instructive and interesting pamphlet could be written
on the advances made in the typo of property and well being of the
people, the conditions under which they lived, the improvements
effected and slums cleared away by successive Councils during the
last fifty years, but this side of the question receives no consideration
in the pamphlet issued for the Westminster Survey Group by
the two ladies employed to make the report.
As far back as the year 1866, evidence was given by Dr. Iliffe,
the then Modical Officer of Health of Newington, before the Select
Committee of the House of Commons, in which he stated that "great
difficulties were experienced in getting the houses into proper condition,
on account of the smaller houses being occupied by several
| (3) Number of dwelling houses in respect of which Closing Orders became operative in pursuance of declarations by owners of intention to close | Nil |
| B. Proceedings under Public Health Acts:— | |
| (1) Number of dwelling houses in respect of which notices were served requiring defects to be remedied | 5,591 |
| (2) Number of dwelling houses in which defects were remedied after service of formal notices: | |
| 5,605 | |
| Nil | |
| C. Proceedings under Sections 11, 14 and 15 of the Housing Act, 1925:— | |
| (1) Number of representations made with a view to the making of Closing Orders | 2 |
| (2) Number of dwelling houses in respect of which Closing Orders were made | 2 |
| (3) Number of dwelling houses in respect of which Closing Orders were determined, the dwelling houses having been rendered fit | Nil |
| (4) Number of dwelling houses in respect of which Demolition Orders were made | Nil |
| (5) Number of dwelling houses demolished in pursuance of Demolition Orders | Nil |
| D. Proceedings under Part II. Sec. 35 Sub-Sec. (1) — | |
| (1) Representation to Local Authority | 180 |