[Report 1950] / Medical Officer of Health, Wellingborough R.D.C.

Wellingborough (England). Rural District Council.

Date:: 1950

Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1950] / Medical Officer of Health, Wellingborough R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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HOUSING. Fifty-eight houses were completed during the year. All the houses were of the traditional type. The post war building programme up to the end of December, 1950, was as follows : Number of houses approved by the Ministry 327, of these 264 houses have been built and the remainder were in various stages of erection. Of the 264 houses completed, 20 were Swedish Timber Houses, 20 Airey Type, and the remainder Traditional Houses. The total number of houses approved by the Ministry during the year ending 31st December, 1950, was 49. Six Licences for the erection of houses by private enterprise were issued during the period and eight houses were completed. Thirteen additional family units were provided by the completion of the conversion of Manor House, Earls Barton, into flats, and the con¬ version of White House Farm, Orlingbury. Both schemes were carried out by private enterprise. During the year the Council converted the existing Land Army Hostel at Wollaston and Orlingbury into four family units each. Each hostel provided two two-bedroomed, and two three- bedroomed units. The total number of live applicants on the Council’s Housing List at the end of the year was 570, an increase of 37 over the figure for the previous year. The conditions under which persons were living at the Newton Bromswold Camp were investigated with a view to seeing if any reconstruction work could be carried out on the huts. It was considered that such work would not be justified on account of the condition of the huts and their short life. There were thirteen families living at this camp, but this number has now been reduced to eight. Action to prevent re-occupation of huts should be taken whenever a family moves out, as these huts are not fit for human habitation. The housing situation remains a grave one, notwithstanding the Council’s activities during the year. The number of applicants for Council houses, actually shows an increase on the number for the previous year. There is a tendency now in the building of houses in Rural Areas to build outside the village proper. This means more land is occupied, and often valuable agricultural land is built on. The costs of building are increased on account of extra service roads being required and the longer distance that sewers and water pipes have to be brought. Such increases in cost means fewer houses, and also that eventually the centre of such villages will consist of derelict houses. If areas within the villages are Suitable sites for rebuilding, these should be cleared and rebuilt on, thus cutting down the costs of laying new roads. Sewers and piped water usually are conveniently situated. SECTION K. INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD. Milk Regulations, 1949*—Except in the case of Retail Purveyors, the functions of the above Regulations are now carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. In consequence the number of samples of milk taken during the year is considerably reduced compared with the previous year.