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

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Finsbury 1960

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

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delays Generally speaking, the policy adopted has been to press for
the abatement of nuisances by informal action rather than to take
legal proceedings In this way it has been possible to preserve better
relations with landlords and thus to secure further improvements which
could not be enforced
In spite of the general improvement referred to there still
remains much unfit property deleterious to health in the Borough One
matter that has consistently given considerable concern has been the
accumulation of refuse in backyards and areas, and on waste ground
and difficulties are still found in preventing the dumping of rubbish
and its removal,
Unwanted articles, furniture or builders refuse which may
constitute an eyesore. and not forming a health nuisance in the first
place, often tends to encourage the deposit of more obnoxious items by
others
In a number of cases such items have been represented as unwhole
some and have been removed for destruction by the Council, in order to
prevent their deposition in unsuitable places.

The following table sets out a number of details of the work carried out under this heading in 1960.

Houses damp, dirty- remedied.321
Doors, windows,, floors, walls, ceilings sashcords repaired.509
Watercloset and urinal defects remedied.117
Soil and vent pipe defects remedied.70
Rainwater pipes cleared, repaired or renewed75
Waste pipes cleared, repaired or renewed57
Drains cleared.91
Roofs and gutters repaired.274
Water storage tank defects remedied.2
Yard or area defects remedied.48
Washhouse defects remedied.8
Water supply to houses re-instated.12
Water supply laid on to upper storeys of house.3
Firegrates renewed or repaired.31
Animal nuisances abated.2
Miscellaneous nuisances abated.78
Dust receptacles renewed or repaired.86
Accumulations of refuse removed.119