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• 75
Refuse Disposal—Essex County Council Act.— Early in the year,
the Essex County Council promoted a Bill in Parliament containing a
clause dealing with the subject of the disposal of refuse by local authorities
and others, except those within the county itself. Its object was the
prohibition of the dumping of refuse anywhere in the county, except
with the consent of the local authority concerned and that of the County
Council. There was to be no right of appeal against an adverse decision
on the part of those authorities.
The clause, if passed, might have been operated so as to prevent the
further dumping of refuse even in places already in use for that purposeSuch
a situation would have presented a serious problem to those authorities
in the metropolitan area and elsewhere whose refuse was being
(Imposed of in the county. In the case of Westminster, the major
portion of its refuse had been deposited in Essex for many years past.
The City Council had in 1932 entered into new contracts with two
firms having dumps in Essex and had required them to comply with
certain precautions suggested by the Ministry of Health for observance
uf. refuse tips and dealing with the covering or refuse, &c. As a consequence
conditions at both dumps had improved.
The authorities affected decided to offer strenuous opposition to the
proposals. Some of them, including Westminster, presented a joint
petition to Parliament, while others petitioned separately.
It was urged that the disposal of refuse under proper methods of
control such as those in use in Bradford could be carried on without
detriment to neighbouring inhabitants or property. In that city, refuse
was being disposed of within the district, in some instances in close
proximity to dwelling houses, in such a manner that no nuisance of any
kind was in evidence. It was pointed out that most of the refuse disposed
of in Essex was deposited on marsh lands along the river bank at considerable
distances from the nearest habitations. These lands in their
existing state were useless for any remunerative purpose, but by filling
in and levelling with refuse properly covered, they could in time be used
for agricultural and industrial purposes.
The preparation of evidence for the opposition involved many visits
being paid to refuse dumps, refuse destructors and pulverization plants in
Essex and elsewhere by by Medical Officer of Health and other officers
of the council covering a period of some four months.
The Essex County Council eventually entered into negotiations with
the petitioning authorities and after considerable discussion between
he parties and the Ministry of Health a final basis of agreement was