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15
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR
for the year 1962
Town Hall,
Anerley Road, S.E.20,
12th September, 1963.
To the Chairman and Members of the Urban District Council of Penge.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I desire to present my Annual Report for the year ended 31st December,
1962, in which is set out the work of the Public Health Inspectors.
During the year the first smokeless zone under the Clean Air Act, 1956,
came into operation on the 1st September. The area comprised 691 dwellings.
The bringing into operation of this zone necessitated many surveys being
made by your inspectors outside official hours, this arising from both husband
and wife being at business during the day and therefore access for survey purposes
could be obtained only during the evenings or at weekends.
Byelaws in respect of the removal of house refuse made under Section
72 (3) of the Public Health Act, 1936, and Byelaws made under Section 77 of
the Public Health Act, 1961, relative to Hairdressers and Barbers establishments
came into operation during the year.
Complaints, excluding those dealing with mice and rat infestation, numbered
458, the majority being with reference to housing defects and nuisances.
The complaints concerning housing defects appear to be on the decline, and
there is evidence that the landlord/tenant relationship following the decontrol
provisions of the Rent Act, 1957, may have some bearing on this, since cases
have occurred where following complaint of defects in dwellings the tenants have
requested that no communication be sent to the landlord thereon since being
decontrolled tenants they feared a month's notice to quit would follow the receipt
by the landlord of an official notice.
The execution of repair work following the receipt of official notice has
become increasingly difficult owing to building trade labour shortage. Local
builders who for years have carried out this class of repair work complain that
they cannot secure the necessary labour. As a consequence the time taken to
abate notices is increased.
Slum Clearance survey continued during the year in preparation for further
representations being made at an early date in 1963 of additional clearance
areas in the Groves Area.