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is a large portable vacuum cleaner having several advantages over
the old type rotary broom sweeper. Some 7½ per cent of the
mileage swept is done by this machine. The problems created
by parking of cars and lorries tend to increase still.
Sweepings during the year amounted to 1,250 tons.
There are approximately 4,500 street gullies in the Borough
which are emptied, flushed and refilled with clean water three
to four times a year. This is done entirely by mechanical means
using two 800-gallon capacity emptying and flushing vehicles.
Refuse Collection
The total weight of household refuse collected for the year
was 22,603 tons from 27,802 (average) premises. This means that
in spite of an increase in the use of gas and electric heating, due
to the Clean Air Act, the amount of refuse per hereditament
remains at approximately 16J cwts per annum—equivalent to 35 lb.
per week. The average weight per day, per 1,000 population was
14.8 cwts. (pop. 83,630), most of this being collected from individual
bins. However, large communal containers housed in chambers
at the bottom of chutes are now being provided in greater numbers
not only at the new blocks of flats and schools but also to business
premises and shops and by the end of 1964 there were 745 such
containers in use.
The scheduled frequency of collection throughout the Borough
is once weekly. In a number of pre-war blocks of flats, however,
sufficient bin storage was not provided and collections are made
twice weekly and in a few cases three times weekly.
By virtue of the London County Council (General Powers)
Act, 1959, it is now possible to require the provision of adequate
bin storage with satisfactory accommodation in new and converted buildings. To save labour as far as possible the use of
large bins is encouraged, as these are tipped into the refuse collection vehicles by mechanical means.
In the scavenging and refuse collection sections of the Works
Department there is difficulty in recruiting suitable able-bodied
employees who are prepared to undertake this arduous form of
labour to fill the vacancies which occur on the retirement of the
existing employees or to take the place of those absent from
work on account of illness.
As new types of refuse collection vehicles come on the market
these are inspected and tested so that the Council is, as far as
is practicable, up to date in its collection fleet.
With the introduction of sink waste disposal units, especially
in multi-storey blocks of flats, some refuse is now being disposed
of via the sewers, but at the moment the amount dealt with in
this manner is quite small.