[Report 1919] / Medical Officer of Health, Salop / Shropshire County Council.

  • Shropshire Council
Date:
1919
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1919] / Medical Officer of Health, Salop / Shropshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    54/58 (page 41)
    The Surveyor and I have had several conferences with the l\fanager and Estate Agent of tlie I.illeshall Co. This has resulted in 12 being voluntarily closed, 12 re-constructed and 14 jnit in tliorough repair. ■■ Xo rci)rcsentations for closure were made to the Council during the year. A considerable iiuinbor are held over till there is a prospect of getting the tenants out. Oijkciigafcs Urban.— There is a deficiency of about 100, and another 150 may be necessary to replace houses that are incapable of satisfactory repair. The Council has taken steps to acquire land in three localities that will be sufficient for liouses, and arc at present seekmg tenders for 70 houses on one of the sites. Ovcrcroivding.—^According to the Census about one-sixth of the population are living under overcrowded conditions as defined by the Registrar-General, i.c., more than two persons p>er room. \ considerable addition to the number of three and four bedroom houses in the district is the only effective remedy. “ Fifness of Houses.—^The EUleshall Company has completed during the year the recon¬ struction and thorough repair of about 50 houses at Snedshill.” Osii'cstry Urban.— Our report already laid before you included the condemnation of 6 houses ; 18 dwellmgs to be converted into 9, and 18 defective houses which could be made fit for habitation. It was noted that there were 14 houses non-occupied as a result of previous action on the part of 3'Our officers which would otherwise have been added to the list of con¬ demned. “Twelve cases of overcrowding were discovered, some not being of a serious character. Most of the cases referred to above could only be dealt with when additional housing accom¬ modation has been provided. Shifnal Rural.—“ The Council scheme includes the erection of about 30 at Shifnal and 20 or more at Albrighton. This will enable them to test the demand for cottages at higher rentals, before thev' deal with other parishes that have asserted their need.” Wellington Urban.—“ (i) There are approximately 1,700 houses in the district, of which number about 1,300 are occupied by the working class. There were no w-orkmen’s houses built (luring the year, but 22 are in course of erection. (2) The estimated population is 7,556, a decrease of nearly 500 from the pre-war population. -\n annual increase of 50 yearh’’ may be anticipated, and this will be added to as the birth-rate rcMimes its normal proportions. (3) There is at present a ver\'’ considerable unsatisfied demaird for houses, and a hundred, including those in course of erection, would, I believe, be rapidly absorbed. Furthermore, 50 are required to replace houses, which are, for various reasons, unfit for habitation, and cannot be made so.” Wellington Rural.—“ The Council propose to meet this condition by building 150 houses, 50 of which will be built in Hadley.” Whitchurch Urban.— The Surveyor ancl Sanitary Inspector in 1919 re-surveyed all the older and poorer dwellings, most of w’hich 1 visited with him. Upon our suggestioji, the Council hi October adopted a building scheme for 60 new' houses and proceeded with the investigation of sites. Earh^ in the present year progress had been made to the purchase of an approved ''lie in .Alkington Road, of approximate!}' 4I acres, a lay-out had been approved and plans adiipted for a first instalment of 14 houses, t\pe A, and 10 houses, type B. The improvement of the conditions of housing constitutes beyond any doubt the most iniportant question before the Council at the present time, as regards the health and betterment 1 tlie population, and I would urge the necessity of makuig the fullest use of the Council’s and opportunities for this purpose. Defects of housing lie at the root of majiy of the I'roblcms of the health and well-being which are seriously engagmg the attention of the Country ; •uiH/n;: others those of ]\Iaternitv ami Child Welfare, Prevention of Tuberculosis, ;uid in general the improvement of national physique.”