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make an angle with the meridian, the width must be increased to produce the same result, thus—
Angle of inclination of street to the
meridian.
5°
10°
15°
20°
ft ft ft ft,
1 hour 32.84 45.63 58.07 70.07
2 ,, 55.28 68.31 80.82 92.71
3 „ 83.43 97.08 109.99 122.06
4 „ 123.19 138.06 151.87 164.53
At the venial or autumnal equinox, to secure one hour of such sunlight, the meridional street
must be 6.65 feet wide, for two hours 13.76 feet, and for three and four hours respectively 21.77 and
31.25 feet. For streets making an angle with the meridian, the following widths are necessary—
Angle of inclination of street to the
meridian.
5°
10°
15°
20°
ft. ft. ft. ft.
1 hour 11.03 15.33 19.51 23.54
2 ,, 18.18 22.46 26.57 30.48
3 ,, 26.26 30.56 34.63 38.43
4 ,, 35.85 40.18 44.20 47.88
The London Building Law, however, as already pointed out, makes no requirement of open space
in the rear of houses in proportion to their height, and only limits the height of the house (except to
90 feet) to the width of the street on new streets since 1862.
During recent years there has been an increasing tendency to cover land with buildings, and to
make insufficient provision for the ventilation and natural lighting of the buildings. Thus it is a
frequent practice to replace existing buildings by others containing suites of rooms or "flats," the back
rooms of which derive their air and light from enclosed courts or shafts through which air imperfectly
circulates, and through which light but inadequately enters the rooms.
There is much need for placing under statutory regulation the conditions under which such
buildings are erected.
Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
The Public Health (London) Act, which came into force on the first day of the year 1892,
consolidated and extended the public health law in London. The following are the principal
amendments—
The first section follows closely a similar provision in the Housing of the Working Classes Act,
1890, requiring sanitary authorities to put in force the powers vested in them so as to secure the proper
sanitary conditions of all premises within their district.
It is made clear that the provisions relating to nuisances apply to those which are dangerous to
health, irrespective of the question whether they have actually caused injury. Information of a nuisance
may be given to the sanitary authority by any person, and it is made the duty of every officer of a sanitary
authority, and of every relieving officer (subject to the regulations of the authority having control over
him) to give such information. The sanitary authority may, if they think it desirable, specify the works
required for the abatement of a nuisance. When the person causing the nuisance cannot be found and
the nuisance does not arise or continue from any act, default or sufferance of the owner or occupier, the
sanitary authoritymaydo what is necessary to prevent its recurrence, as well as themselves abate the nuisance
as heretofore. The sanitary authority may require the abatement of overcrowding of any house or part of a
house, whether it be occupied by the members of more than one family or not. A penalty is provided when the
nuisance arose from the wilful act or default of a person, or when any person makes default in complying
with any of the requisitions of the notice of a sanitary authority within the time specified. Further in
the case of appeal, a person making such appeal is liable to penalty unless he satisfies the court that he had
substantial ground for such appeal. When a court making an order is of opinion that the continuance
of a nuisance, pending the hearing of an appeal, will be injurious or dangerous to health, and that its
abatement will not cause any injury which cannot be compensated by damages, the court may authorise
the sanitary authority immediately to abate the nuisance. Under such circumstances, if the appeal is
abandoned or dismissed, the sanitary authority may recover the costs incurred in the abatement.
The sanitary authorities are required to make by-laws for the prevention of nuisances arising
from snow, soot, dust, ashes, rubbish, offal, carrion, fish, or filth or other matter or thing in any street;
for preventing nuisances arising from any offensive matter running out of any manufactory, brewery,
slaughterhouse, knacker's yard, butchers or fishmonger's shop or dung-hill into any uncovered place;