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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
The year 1971 was one of substantial progress as far as work in the Environmental Health field was
concerned. The reorganisation of the Public Health Inspectorate carried out in late 1970 allowed for
greater flexibility in the use of staff and improved work output.
A comprehensive examination of all food establishments was commenced within the Borough including
those under the control of the Council with a view to raising food hygiene standards generally. As the year
ended arrangements were in hand to supplement these inspections with a Health Education Programme for
Food Staffs to be commenced early in 1972. A Clean Food Booklet was published by the Council as a
means to assist in raising standards, but with the large number of small retail food establishments and many
foreign and immigrant food traders the onus in any clean food programme within the Borough must rest
on the repeated visits to premises by Public Health Inspectors.
In the housing sector the first year of the Council's slum clearance programme 1971/75 saw all first
year scheduled properties represented before the end of the year. A new departure was for 17 properties
in Keystone Crescent to be excluded from the programme during the year following detailed discussions
with owners and tenants and two reports to the Town Planning and Development Committee. This scheme
reflects the present trend of property improvement and influence of increased property values and in the
future there will no doubt be further examples of pressure on the Council not to demolish unfit houses in
prospective Clearance Areas where the owners can make a substantial and viable case at a sufficiently early
date to rehabilitate them.
The confirmation of the Registration Scheme by the Secretary of State for the Environment in respect
of houses in multi-occupation within the Borough was still awaited at the end of the year, but work
proceeded on the 7 areas of multi-occupation chosen as a pilot study in advance of such confirmation.
The programme of dealing with tenement blocks also made considerable progress and the establishment
of the permanent working party of officers on tenements has been to date a successful measure in
dealing with this housing problem which is in the main confined to dense population areas such as Islington.
INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT DUTIES
75,122 inspections were made by the Staff of the Public Health Inspectorate Division, and the
functions and work output during the year are summarised in the table which follows. Attention is drawn
to the statistics relating to housing, particularly in the first line of the table. The amount of work carried
out has been substantially increased in 1971, by reason of the advance duties on the Council's Registration
Scheme for multi-occupation.
WATER SUPPLY
Water supplies within the area are provided by the Metropolitan Water Board. No artificial flouride is
added to supplies which were otherwise satisfactory both as regards quality and quantity during the year.
MEAT INSPECTION
Following the closure of Messrs. Harrison Barber & Co. Ltd's slaughterhouse in 1970, there is now no
slaughterhouse operating within the Borough. Meat Inspection is still carried out at the various wholesale
and retail establishments in and around Smithfield, however, and details are given in the section concerned
with Food & Drugs.
SEWERAGE & SEWAGE DISPOSAL
No major defects or difficulties were encountered during the year arising from the Borough's sewer
system.
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