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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
addition, by arrangement with the London Transport Board, conveniences are available for use by the
public at Southgate and Oakwood Underground Stations, while further additional public facilities
are available at two public houses in the borough.
Eleven of the conveniences are in the main fully staffed by attendants. The remainder receive regular
attention from a mobile cleaning team or from part-time cleaners. By the end of the year, one of the
three conveniences closed because of vandalism had been demolished. Arrangements were also in
hand to deal with one of the other damaged conveniences in the same way.
Refuse collection and disposal
Section 72
Public Health Act
1936
Local authorities may provide a refuse collection service and may also provide and empty litter
receptacles in public places.
Section 51
Public Health Act
1961
London Government
Act 1963
In Enfield refuse collection is the responsibility of the Borough Engineer and Surveyor who employs
a labour force of 384, including 11 7 men on road sweeping duties. The cleansing fleet consists of 101
vehicles, 30 of which are pedestrian-controlled street sweeping vehicles. A dustless collection service
was introduced in parts of the borough, using the disposable plastic sack system. The central paper
baling plant at Montagu Road, Edmonton, handles paper salvage from Enfield, Haringey and Waltham
Forest.
Refuse disposal is undertaken by the Greater London Council. The Edmonton incineration plant at
Angel Road now handles all the refuse from the London Borough of Enfield, amounting to some
98,000 tons per year.
Civic Amenities
Act 1967
Provision is made for the orderly disposal of disused cars and bulky refuse, etc. There is a reception
area for disused cars at Carterhatch Lane, Enfield, and other refuse may be disposed of, free of charge,
at three depots within the borough. This service is extensively used by the public. Section 23 of the
Removal of Refuse Regulations 1967 enables authorities to remove abandoned articles other than
motor vehicles from land or the highway.
Deposit of
Poisonous Waste
Act 1972
The depositing of poisonous or polluting waste on land is now prohibited and the local authority must
be given notice of any intended movement of such waste. The Greater London Council is responsible
for enforcing these provisions in the Enfield area.
I am grateful to the Borough Engineer and Surveyor for much of the information contained in this
section of the report.
Air pollution
measurement
Clean air
Air pollution measurement has been carried out since 1962, when the former Borough of Enfield
was selected to participate in a national survey of air pollution organised by the then Department of
Scientific and Industrial Research. Measuring apparatus was set up at four sites selected to provide a
representative coverage of the whole Borough. The original situations were at Honilands School, Lovell
Road, Enfield; Brimsdown Pumping Station, Stockingswater Lane, Enfield; Bush Hill Park Library,
Fourth Avenue, Enfield; and Merryhills School, Bincote Road, Enfield. The instrument at the latter
site was removed about four years ago.
The apparatus used consists of a small pump which draws air through a meter and then through a
filter paper and finally through a chemical solution. The two main pollutants in the atmosphere are
smoke, which consists mainly of smoke particles of unburnt carbon, and sulphur dioxide. The filter
paper retains smoke particles and the chemical solution absorbs sulphur dioxide.
The average daily figure for smoke and sulphur dioxide for 1962 and 1972 are shown in the following
tables.
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