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117
in others not sufficiently stringent. It stated in the remarks with
reference to new drainage works in my last annual report, that our
present drainage regulations were insufficient in various details,
but as the London County Council had framed draft Bye-laws
under Section 202 of the Metropolis Management Act 1855 it was
not suggested ours should be amended. Twelve months have
however, elapsed, and we are unfortunately still without a code of
Bye-laws made by a central authority and applicable to the whole
Metropolis. The Chief Inspector informs me that it is
frequently remarked by builders that in other parishes they are
allowed to do such and such a thing, why cannot they do the
same here? It therefore at times becomes somewhat difficult
to enforce regulations of the Vestry, as not seeming to have the
same weight as a Bye-law made under a special section of an
Act of Parliament and ratified by the Local Government Board.
The Vestry has therefore deemed it necessary (pending
a uniform code of Bye-laws being made by the London County
Council) to revise the drainage regulations in very many
particulars, and in the preparation of these, have noted several
of the more salient points in the draft Bye-laws of the London
County Council, and included them in such Regulations, so that
should Bye-laws by the London County Council be made in
respect to drainage, it is thought they will, in many respects, be
similar to the Regulations adopted by the Vestry on the 13th
April last.
There is one other point to which attention should be
directed, and that is the vexed question of repairs to combined
systems of drainage. Probably nearly two-thirds of the
properties in the Parish are drained by combined operations,
and whilst a very large number have already been re-constructed
by the owners of the same, the Vestry has been compelled by the
legal decisions given on the point, to repair, and where the
Vestry have been satisfied they were liable, they have given
directions for so much of the combined systems as were