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Clean Air Act. Steady progress was made in the Council's
programme of dealing with Smoke Control Areas, which provides for the
borough to be completely dealt with by 1970.
The Council's programme is being dealt with in accordance with
the scheduled times. Apart from the five isolated objections received
in respect of the Holland Ward (No.2) area, which resulted in a twelve
months' delay, the residents of Kensington, both owners and occupiers,
appear to be welcoming the Council's efforts to reduce atmospheric
pollution. The work is of a detailed nature and necessitates numerous
inspections to ensure that contraventions of the Clean Air Act will not
occur, but, generally speaking, the initial difficulties in operating
this legislation have been overcome and there is no reason why the work
should not proceed quickly and smoothly to its finality.
During the year, the Norland Ward (Nod) area was completed
and the remainder of the Ward was made the subject of a new order,
fixing the date of operation as 1st October, 1964.
Food Hygiene. The work of maintaining satisfactory hygienic
standards in food shops was continued unabated. The number of inspections
of food shops made during the year was 1,452. It is somewhat
disappointing that, although the Pood Hygiene Regulations have been in
force since 1955, it is still found necessary to take legal proceedings
for contraventions of the Regulations in what appears to be an increasing
number of cases each year. The following table shows the number of
summonses issued for contraventions of the Regulations in the last three
years:-
Year No. of summonses issued
1961 50
1962 149
1963 196
Whilst the great majority of food traders in the borough
observe the Regulations in a satisfactory manner, the need for keeping
a careful watch for unsatisfactory traders does not appear to diminish.
Adequate standards in some cases can only be maintained apparently by
frequent inspections, in order to maintain satisfactory standards
throughout the borough,
Staff. With the extra work falling on the Public Health department,
by reason of new legislation, the need for increasing the
number of public health inspectors became more acute than before. The
Council decided, following unsuccessful attempts to recruit non-qualified
staff, that an effort should be made to recruit older and more experienced
inspectors by offering a higher grade of salary than recommended
by the London District Council. As a result the establishment of the
public health inspectors has been increased from 15 to 20 in the past
few months.
Mr. H.W. Walters, the Council's Chief Public Health Inspector,
decided to retire on superannuation in October, 1963 • He had been
employed by the Council for nearly 40 years, and his loyal, enthusiastic
and efficient service had been a valuable contribution towards fostering
the public health in the borough. Owing to the impending amalgamation
of the two boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea it was decided to fill the
vacancy temporarily by the appointment of Mr. D.C. Draper as Acting
Chief Public Health Inspector until 1st April, 1965.
VITAL STATISTICS
The table set out on pages 8 and 9 gives the important vital
statistics for 1963, together with comparative figures for the previous
seven years.