London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1929
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
Summary of Legal Proceedings.
| Nature of Offence. | Number of Summonses beard before the Magistrates. | Magistrates' Decisions. |
|---|---|---|
| Failure to abate a nuisance by carrying out sanitary repairs. | 11 | Order made for the abatement of the nuisance within 28 days in one case, within 21 in four cases and 14 days in one case. Summonses withdrawn, the work being completed in five cases. |
| Failure to comply with By-laws for Houses Let in Lodgings. | 6 | Fined £3 in one case. Order made for the abatement of the nuisance within 21 days in one case. Summonses withdrawn, work having beer carried out in four cases. |
| Failure to provide a proper supply of water to the upper storeys. | 2 | Summonses withdrawn, proper supply of water being provided in both cases. |
| Failure to abate overcrowding. | 3 | Fined £2 in one case and £1 in two cases. |
| Failure to provide sufficient water-closet accommodation. | 1 | Summons withdrawn, the necessary accommodation being provided. |
| Willfully exposing a person suffer-ing from a dangerous infectious disease. | 1 | Summons dismissed. |
| Failure to deposit plans in respect of drainage work. | 1 | Fined £1. |
| Failure to comply with an order made by the Justices to abate a nuisance. | 1 | Summons withdrawn, order having been complied with. |
| Allowing a dog to deposit its excre-ment on the public footway. | 15 | Fined 10s. 6d. in two cases and 10s. in thirteen cases. |
| Failure to pay expenses of work carried out by the Council under Section 3 of the Housing Act, 1925. | 2 | Order made for the payment of expenses with interest in each case. |
| Total | 43 |
In addition to the above, there were issued under the various Acts and Regulations dealing
with milk, food, drugs, etc., 37 summonses, particulars of which are given on page 57.
DUST REMOVAL.
During the year, the Council considered the question of securing a more frequent collection
and removal of house refuse, and approved a scheme for the re-organisation and modernisation of
existing arrangements.
There is an improved daily collection in eight main streets where there is congestion of
traffic, and a daily collection is undertaken before 9 a.m. in certain other streets and blocks of
flats. In other cases, there is a thrice-weekly collection.
Throughout the entire northern part of the Borough, and in 78 per cent, of the premises in the
southern half, the collection is not less frequent than twice-weekly.
A new type of cover, designed by the Cleansing Superintendent, has been fitted to all the
Council's motor vehicles used in this service, and experiments are being conducted in regard to a new
cover for horse-drawn vans. The new covers will, it is hoped, prevent the escape of refuse from
the vehicles and decrease the annoyance caused by dust when the refuse is emptied into the
vehicles.
A new portable container system is being installed at certain premises in the Borough and the
Council have approved of the principle of standardising refuse bins.
Further improvements are under contemplation and it is anticipated that these, like those
achieved in 1929, will be effected with little increase of expenditure.