LONDON POPULATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 74, 9 January 1936, Page 8

LONDON POPULATION.

DECREASE SINCE 1931 CENSUS. An estimate of London’s population just published by the 'London County Council, indicates a decrease of over 1.60,000 between April, 1931, and the middle of last year. The flow of population to the outer suburbs which has been so pronounced in recent years lias caused this loss to the County of London. In the 10 years between the censuses of 19*21 and 1031 the fall in population was 87.000, little more than half the latest estimate, the. total in 1931 being 4,397,000. ... The Council’s new estimate is based on returns from various metropolitan borough councils. Every borough except- Hampstead and Lewisham, reports a loss of population. The decrease is slight in Kensington but amounts to decreases of over 10,000 in each of the boroughs of Camberwell, Hammersmith, Islington, Poplar, !3t. Paneras, Southwark, Stepney, and Wandsworth. The City of Westminster’s population has decreased by over 5000. Hampstead, owing to its popularity as a residential district, shows an increase of about 1000, and also a rise in rateable value. Migration of Londoners to the outer suburbs has led to a great increase in the amount of empty property which is affecting the collection of rates, lhe total amount irrecoverable from this cause in the City of London is equal to over Is in the £; in Chelsea to nearly 6d; in Finsbury and Holborn to over 7d • and in Westminster to over Bd. The returns show the amount of debt on loans outstanding per £ of rateable value. The debts amounts to 4d in Chelsea and 8d in Hampstead; Is 6d in Westminster; 10s in Poplar; 11s 7d in Woolwich ; and Pis 3d in Bermondsey. These outstanding loans mean heavy burdens on. local ratepayers in payment of interest.