[Report 1928] / Medical Officer of Health, West Bromwich County Borough.

  • West Bromwich (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1928
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1928] / Medical Officer of Health, West Bromwich County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    80/102 (page 75)
    Forty-five insanitary dry ashpits were abolished and gal¬ vanized ashbins substituted. Thirteen hundred and sixty-four new ashbins were provided to replace worn-out ones of which 26 were supplied by us in default. One improvement which we should like to see become universal was made by an owner who provided each of two houses with a separate washhouse and water closet, where previously conveniences of this character had been used in common, thereby making each house self-contained. Although a detailed study of the list of sanitary improvements affords reason for congratulation, yet unfortunately as regards the abatement of overcrowding no progress can be reported. Including the houses which were inspected during the sys¬ tematic survey, the number of cases of overcrowding coming under our notice was 191. In 152 of these houses, all of a small type, the extent of the overcrowding was most marked. In 80 instances there were 10 or more inmates ; 68 houses had two or more families residing therein, there being in 14 instances three families in the house. The absence of any alternative accommodation for residents of the character occupying these dwellings made the service of notices more or less futile in character and actually we served only nine of such notices. One hundred and eightv-nine intimation notices were addressed to occupiers with respect to the filthy state of sanitary conveniences, the improper keeping of animals, etc. WORK UNDER THE HOUSING ACT, 1925. Some further work, including the preparation of Reference Book, etc., was undertaken in connection with the proposed Improvement Scheme for the Cooper Hill Street and Virgins* End Area, the details of the scheme having been approved by the Council. Thirty Closing Orders were made during the year and one Closing Order was determined. Six Demolition Orders were made, and in 14 cases houses were demolished. This is the largest number demolished in any given year since the termination of the war, but as indicated in previous reports, only represents a small pro¬ portion of houses which, but for the prevalent overcrowding and shortage of accommodation, would be abolished. At the end of the year there were 133 houses, all with but a few exceptions occupied, in respect of which Closing Orders are operative, 31 Demolition Orders also being operative with respect to these houses.