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Council suitable amendments were made. In its final form, the clause
empowered Borough Councils to serve a notice on an owner (or,
in certain circumstances, an occupier) requiring him to provide
adequate means for the artificial lighting of a common staircase in
a house let in lodgings or occupied by more than one family, or in a
building occupied as two or more separate dwellings. In default
of the owner, the work could be carried out by the Borough Council.
The Ministry of Housing and Local Government drew attention
to the fact that Parliament had recently passed local Acts giving
the local authorities concerned powers to make bye-laws dealing
with the artificial lighting of common staircases, and accordingly
it was agreed that such a clause should be included in the County
Council's Bill in substitution for that proposed. It was, however,
feared that model bye-laws would not enable borough councils to
carry out the work in default of owners, and that for this reason
the bye-law making power was an inadequate substitution for the
clause as finally submitted to the House.
The Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee were
accordingly informed that additional powers were considered to be
necessary.
PLEASURE FAIR
Careful investigations were made into arrangements for a pleasure
fair to be held on a vacant site for three weeks in November and
December.
The sanitary arrangements were satisfactory, and no Public
Health nuisance was caused.
NUISANCE FROM FACTORY
Complaints of a nuisance arising from a local factory have been
received intermittently from local residents during the last four
years. In spite of modifications carried out to the plant the complaints
are justified and the conditions are a contravention of
Section 147 (2)(c) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, which
deals with " any trade or business which occasions any noxious or
offensive effluvia, or otherwise annoys the neighbourhood or
inhabitants, without using the best practicable means for preventing
or counteracting the effluvia or annoyance."
The factory management have made every effort to collect the
dust produced in their factory, but as they have received notice
from the London County Council to vacate these premises under a
Town Planning Scheme, and all the arrangements regarding compensation,
etc., were concluded, they claim that it is difficult, in
the circumstances, for them to undertake large-scale alterations to
this factory.
The matter was discussed with the London County Council, but
as the freeholder will not accept a properly negotiated purchase
price, the London County Council is having to take compulsory
powers. The County Council were requested to expedite the removal
of this factory in order to end this nuisance.