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1937 46
Mr. Browning, the Cleansing Superintendent, has kindly supplied the following
statement regarding the work of his department during the year
(i) Street Sweeping.—A further mechanical vehicle of the S.D. freighter
hygienic low-loading type (formerly used for house refuse collection), was
re-conditioned and put into service on the Northern district for receiving the
contents of galvanised containers installed in orderly trucks. Five motor
vehicles in all (including four "Bedford" lorries) are now engaged on this
service, leaving only two open type horse-drawn vans still in use, which supplement
the motor vehicles operating on the South-Eastern and South-Western
districts of the Borough.
(ii) Gully Cleansing.—A further hand propelled gully sludge truck (closed
container type) was purchased and put into service. Two such vehicles are
now used in conjunction with the mechanical gully emptiers for cleansing
gullies in cul-de-sacs and narrow thoroughfares and at housing estates, etc.,
where access for the large motor vehicles is limited or unobtainable. This
work has hitherto been carried out by means of open type horse-drawn vans.
(iii) Refuse Collection.—The Container system of refuse removal from blocks
of flats, etc., was put into operation at certain properties of the Council and the
L.C.C. in October, 1937. Two "Scammell" motive units (of 10 h.p. and
15 h.p. capacity respectively) are used to haul the Bin Carriers which are of
the flat platform type. One hundred and five containers of the "Outside"
type (each 1½ cubic yards capacity) and 54 "Inside" type bins (each 1¼ cubic
yards capacity) are installed at the various premises where the system is in
operation. This system results in a more hygienic method of collection as,
formerly, the refuse had to be shovelled out from fixed receptacles and emptied
into baskets prior to loading into vehicles.
Generally.—During the year ended 31st March, 1937, 82.8 per cent. of
refuse was collected by mechanical vehicles and 17.2 per cent. by horses and
vans.
(iv) Refuse Disposal.—The reconstructed Refuse Disposal Works at
Ashburton Grove Depot were officially opened on the 17th April, 1937, and,
with the exception of certain final modifications and adjustments necessary
in connection with the electrical installations in course of completion by the
contractors, the Plant is in full working order to the Council's requirements.
The Improvements and extensions carried out at Ashburton Grove may be
summarised as follows:—
Steel-framed and sheeted buildings housing patent overlapping belt plate
elevators arranged to receive the refuse as tipped from the collecting vehicles
and to pass it to a belt conveyor system for loading into railway trucks;
Drum-type electro-magnetic separators for extracting ferrous scrap metals
from the refuse, and also a dust extraction system;
New roadway connecting the entrance at Victoria Place and exit at
Ashburton Grove;
New office, transfer of weighbridge to new position, and brick shelter for
the gatekeeper;
New salt store;
Sludge lagoon for gully slop;