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20
DISPOSAL AND STORAGE OF REFUSE
Following complaints from the dust collecting teams, through
their Union, of the difficulties and unpleasantness involved in
making collections where the disposal of refuse was carried out by
means of dust chutes a detailed inspection was made by the Public
Health Inspectors of the blocks of dwellings where dust chutes are
in operation. The majority of these flats are of the old type and
the methods of refuse disposal have remained unaltered throughout
the years.
From the discussions with the owners, it was evident that the
chief objection to any scheme of modernisation or bettering existing
methods of refuse disposal on the premises was the expense involved
in structural alterations and difficulties in finding suitable places
for the storage and emptying of dust bins or Paladin containers at
the blocks of flats. Nevertheless, a number of owners co-operated
readily and some schemes of reconstruction are under consideration.
The conditions of some basement ashpits are deplorable and
major alterations would involve costly structural alterations and
the necessity of some rehousing, but the matter is being kept under
close supervision.
CLEANSING OF TENEMENT HOUSES
The attention of the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint
Committee was drawn to the fact that borough councils now have
no power to require the regular periodical cleansing of rooms, etc.,
in tenement houses. Formerly it had been possible, under a bye-law
made by the London County Council, to require owners to remedy
defects in such dwellings which could not properly be included in
nuisance notices under Public Health legislation. This power was
repealed by Section II of the Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954
(which empowers local authorities to require works to be carried out
in houses let in lodgings to render the premises reasonably suitable
for occupation by more than one family), but it was considered that
the present powers are not sufficient to enable local authorities to
require periodical cleansing of rooms, etc.
The Medical Advisory Body of the Standing Joint Committee
were of the opinion that power on the lines of the old bye-law would
in fact require a higher standard of maintenance for the rooms of
houses let in lodgings than for the rooms of a house in single occupation
(which does not appear to be justified), and that the main
difficulty in London is to obtain the cleansing of common staircases
and other parts of buildings (for example, lavatories) which are
used in common. Additional powers which should be limited to such
parts of a building would have to be obtained by means of a clause
in a London County Council (General Powers) Bill.
It was pointed out that the suggestion refers to tenement houses
(that is houses let in lodgings) and not tenement buildings such as
are mainly found in this borough. The suggested powers would,