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22
Legal Proceedings.
During the year, legal proceedings were taken by the Council in
88 cases, for the enforcement of various Acts, By-laws, Regulations.
etc., administered by the Health Department. A summary is set out
below : — _
Cases
Public Health (London) Act, 1936 81
Food and Drugs Act, 1955 2
Housing Act, 1957 5
88
Fines totalling £102 0s. 0d. were imposed in connection with these
proceedings, and £31 10s. Od. costs were awarded to the Council.
Public Health (London) Act, 1936.
The provisions of this Act in regard to Nuisances continued to
afford the main means whereby the remedy of insanitary conditions
found in dwelling houses could be secured.
During the year, 1,074 Intimation Notices (relating to 950
premises) and 554 Statutory (Nuisance) Notices (relating to 511
premises) were served. It was found necessary to refer 99 cases to the
Council's Solicitor with instructions to take steps, by legal proceeding
if necessary, to enforce compliance with Statutory Notices. In 18 of
these cases a warning letter from the Solicitor had the desired effect.
In the remaining 81 cases, however, summonses had to be issued. As a
result, Nuisance Orders were made by the Court in 22 instances. The
remaining 59 summonses were ultimately withdrawn, the Notices having
been complied with subsequent to the issue of the summonses.
Defective conditions in 1,086 houses were remedied—530 by owners
following the service of Intimation Notices ; 544 by owners following the
service of Statutory Notices, and in 12 cases action to enforce compliance
with Nuisance Orders had to be taken, and the Council carried out the
work in default of the persons on whom the Orders were made. In those
cases, the Council were entitled to recover the cost of the works from
those persons, and accounts were accordingly rendered to them.
Dustbins.
During the year, 15 notices were served under Section 12 of the
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1954, concerning the
provision of dustbins, and 48 dustbins were provided, 3 being supplied
by the Council in default of the owners, from whom the cost was
afterwards recovered.
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1955.
Section 25 of the above Act relative to choked drains was used on
50 occasions. This Section enables a notice to be served upon an
owner or occupier to clear a stopped-up drain, water closet or soil pipe
within forty-eight hours. If the notice is not complied with the Council
may carry out the work and recover the cost. It was necessary for the
Council to do the work on 14 occasions.