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195
Defective Dwellings
Repairs—With regard to houses found not to be in a reasonable
state of repair, the following procedure, classified under two
headings is generally adopted:—
(1) Complaints from or on behalf of the occupier—The District
Public Health Inspector makes inspection and a preliminary
Notice is sent to the owner specifying the work necessary to abate
the nuisance. Where necessary, the circumstances are reported
to the Health Committee for authority to serve a Notice to
enforce abatement of the nuisance. The premises are reinspected
and, if work required is not executed within a reasonable period,
an Abatement Notice is served. In cases of non-compliance the
Town Clerk is instructed to institute proceedings.
(2) Housing Defects—These are cases where the conditions are
such that they cannot be remedied under the procedure of the
Public Health Acts, and are dealt with under the Housing Act,
1957, as being houses unfit for human habitation. Representations
are made to the Health/Housing Committee to consider as to
whether such houses can be repaired at a reasonable cost having
regard to the value of the premises, or whether Closing and
Demolition Orders should be made.
Rent Act, 1968
During the current year, all three applications received resulted
in the issue of Certificates of Disrepair. Three landlords applied
to the Council for cancellation of Certificates of Disrepair already
in existence and three letters of cancellation were issued.
River Pollution
Prevention of pollution in the River Thames and the tidal
reaches of its tributaries is the responsibility of the Port of London
Authority. In London, however, sewage and its disposal,
amounting to a daily dry flow of approximately 550 million
gallons from an area of 500 square miles serving a population of
7 millions, is under the control of the Greater London Council
and, after treatment at the northern and southern outfalls at
Beckton and Crossness respectively, the resultant sewage effluent
is discharged into the Thames. It is then considered by various
authorities to be a pollutant which, on occasions, gives rise to
complaints.
The ability of plants to synthesize carbon dioxide and water
into carbohydrate constitutes the basis of all life and animal existence
is conditioned by the distribution of vegetation which
nourishes and shelters it. It follows that the quality of water must