London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Kensington 1929

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]

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30
REFUSE REMOVAL FROM MEWS.
The common dustbins installed by the Council in 192l, in 20 mewsways in North Kensington
at the expense of the owners, have continued to prove a satisfactory arrangement for storing
house refuse in these particular mews in which there are a number of dwellings, stables and
costermongers' stores.
The problem of securing hygienic conditions in mewsways has been tackled with considerable
success during past years as a result of close co operation between the officers in the Public Health
Department and the Borough Engineer's Department.
SEWERAGE AND DRAINAGE.
Every house in the Borough is connected with the water carriage system for the disposal of
sewage and, generally speaking, house drainage in Kensington is very satisfactory.
The total number of house drains inspected during the year, including those inspections which
may be described as routine and those made on complaint or after infectious disease, totalled 1031,
and in 216 cases notices under the Public Health Act were served for either reconstruction or
repairs. In many of these the repairs were slight in nature and the owners were not required to
submit plans and applications. In addition to the above drainage work, 376 water closets were
provided in order to supplement the accommodation already existing.
All house drainage work resulting from notices issued under the Public Health Acts and
house drainage undertaken voluntarily by owners, except that in connection with new buildings,
is dealt with by the Public Health Department.

The following table deals with (a) drainage work undertaken voluntarily by owners and supervised by the officers of the Public Health Department from January 1st to December 31st, and (b) all drainage work required by notices served under the Public Health (London) Act, and carried out under the supervision of the Sanitary Inspectors—

Voluntary work.Work under notice.
Plans and applications submitted1 9836
Plans approved by the Council19836
Total reconstruction of drainage of premises3832
Partial reconstruction of drainage of premises418
Repairs to drains by "Economic Method "184
Other sanitary works, such as new soil pipes, baths, sinks and lavatory basins1578298

PUBLIC CONVENIENCES.
The Council provide thirteen public lavatories containing water closets; two are for men only,
two for women, two for boys and two for girls, and in five, accommodation is provided for both
sexes. Part of this accommodation is provided in Avondale Park and the Barlby Road Recreation
Ground. In addition, there are eleven urinals for men under the charge of the Council. Free
accommodation is provided in the men's and women's lavatories for those who are unable to pay.
At eleven railway stations in the Borough there are also conveniences for men and women, and at
75 public houses there are urinals entered from the street and available to the public. The public
conveniences for men in the Borough have been regularly inspected throughout the year by the
male Sanitary Inspectors, and those for women in the railway stations and elsewhere have been
kept under observation by the Women Health Officers.
CANAL BOATS ACTS, 1877 AND 1884.
The Grand Junction Canal runs through the extreme northern portion of the Borough for
about half-a-mile of its length. There are three docks connected with this portion of the canal, in
which there is accommodation for twenty to thirty boats. As is well known, many of these boats
are used for dwelling purposes by the boatmen and their families.
Public health and sanitation in regard to canal boats used for dwelling purposes are controlled
by the Canal Boats Acts, 1877 and 1881. Regulations under the 1877 Act were made by the
Local Government Board in 1878 and provide for:—
(а) the registration of canal boats, including certificates of registration, and the fees in
connection with such registration;
(b) the lettering, marking and numbering of such boats ;
(c) fixing the number, age and sex of the persons who may be allowed to dwell in a canal
boat, having regard to the cubic space, ventilation, provision for the separation of the
sexes, general healthiness, and convenience of accommodation of the boat;
(d) promoting cleanliness in and providing for habitable conditions of canal boats; and
(e) preventing the spread of infectious diseases.