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Another minor legislative improvement which will fill a hygiene gap will be the
requirement to provide sanitary conveniences for persons using refreshment houses or
places of public entertainment.
The problem of nuisance from noise mentioned in last year s Report continues to
crop up in various forms. Some cafes and refreshment houses which may be a source of
enjoyment to some may also be a cause of nuisance to neighbours in the near vicinity
if such places remain in use until late at night or even in the early hours of the morning
if they are used without consideration. Noise may be caused by persons being unnecessarily
noisy on leaving the premises, or from the playing of juke boxes etc Noise from a car
breakers yard was another unfortunate example of industry side by side with residential
accommodation.
Although in the main property improvements are proceeding on a very considerable scale
by voluntary action the Report includes a summary of 40 cases where it was necessary to take
Court proceedings in order to deal with sanitary nuisances under the Public Health (London)
Act and a summary of another 12 cases where there was even failure to comply with a Magistrate" s
Abatement Order made under the same Act.
Housing
A considerable amount of work as set out in detail in the Report was done during the
year under the Housing Acts 131 Closing and Demolition Orders were made in respect of whole
unfit houses and 158 Closing Orders were made in respect of parts of houses unfit, mainly
comprising basement room accommodation On the other hand an increasing number of premises
which have been the subject of Closing Orders in the past have had works carried out to
render them fit by Housing Act standards During the year Closing Orders previously made were
determined because of works carried out for 26 whole houses and 42 basement rooms
In spite of much new housing in the Borough provided principally by the London County
Council and the Borough Council by far the greater part of the population are still housed
in old-type houses in multiple occupation with common entrances and passages w cs water
points and sometimes even kitchen facilities and with no bathroom in the house There is
no doubt that such out-of-date arrangements make congestion inevitable and domestic friction
likely even where overcrowding by statutory standards does not occur Because of insufficient
large housing sites alternative rehousing accommodation which can be offered by the Council
is extremely limited and rehousing on purely health grounds is made very difficult and from
the point of view of many applicants, almost impracticable
Elderly
Persons
The Borough continues to provide many helpful services to elderly persons both directly
and indirectly Details will be found in the Report of the installation of up-to-date washing
disinfecting and other laundry equipment at the Treatment Centre Seven Sisters Road to deal
particularly with the problem of laundering personal clothing and other articles from persons
who have incomplete control of their physical functions and who are in the main elderly This
is proving a most useful service and care is taken to return the laundered articles within
twenty four hours to obviate possible hardship from the possession of insufficient clean changes
It will be obvious that persons who require such a service will also probably need a certain
amount of personal care. This can also be arranged through the Department by the employment of
nurses and bathing attendants who will visit homes to cleanse and bath elderly persons who desire
this. For those who can leave their own beds or rooms and for whom a bath under supervision at
the Treatment Centre would be preferable the Council have provided a special ambulance for
transport and this is proving a most useful addition to the group of services for physically
handicapped elderly persons
Some details are given in the Report of elderly persons problems which are brought to the
notice of the Department and of the help which it has been found possible to give in many
different ways and which would have been difficult - perhaps even impossible to provide so far
as one can see, in the absence of the means provided through the Department Useful elderly
people's services provided indirectly by Borough Council assistance to voluntary organisations
include supplementary feeding of elderly persons through the Meals-on Wheels Service and lunch
clubs and also the chiropody service.