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41
All Night Opening at Oxford Circus.
The Council arranged for the Oxford Circus Men's and Women's Conveniences
to be kept open throughout the whole of the day and night for twelve months commencing
on the 1st November, 1937. The question as to whether or not all night
opening shall be continued will be reviewed at the end of the experimental period.
Special Provision during Coronation Period.
Special arrangements were made to meet the sanitary convenience of the great
crowds that thronged Oxford Street and its neighbourhood on the occasion of the
Coronation of Their Majesties King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The
additional accommodation erected temporarily for the purpose proved entirely
satisfactory and the facilities provided were greatly appreciated.
PUBLIC CLEANSING.
The collection and disposal of house refuse in the Borough is under the jurisdiction
of the Highways Committee and the scheme is administered by the Borough
Engineer (Mr. James Gair) to whom I am indebted for the following information.
Refuse Collection.
All premises in the Borough receive at least a twice-weekly collection, but over
a great portion of the Borough a daily collection is made. In certain thoroughfares,
more particularly in those streets in which refuse collection vehicles are prohibited
by the Ministry of Transport during certain hours, collection is carried out from the
kerb within stated hornrs, the bins being placed by the occupiers ready for collection
by the Council's vehicles. This entails concentration of a large number of collecting
vehicles in certain parts of the Borough in the early hours of the day.
During the year 101 intimation notices and 2 statutory notices were served by
the Sanitary Authority in respect of defective bins; approved type metal dustbins
were provided at 117 premises; while 897 visits were made by Inspector Hill, who
gives part-time to this work.
An important part of the collection system is the use in large premises, such as
blocks of flats, hotels, etc., of the "container." This method provides for the provision
of special containers by the Council, which are purchased by the owners of
the respective properties, and collection is made daily by specially designed vehicles.
The containers are removed bodily from the premises, conveyed to the Council's
Wharf and are there emptied, cleansed and disinfected before return. This system
has proved to be more hygienic, quicker, less noisy in working and altogether more
satisfactory than the use of a number of refuse bins. In this connection approach
has been made to the Royal Institute of British Architects to obtain their cooperation
with a view to attention being given to the problem of refuse storage and
collection, by members of the Institute when planning and designing new buildings.
In so far as new buildings erected in the Borough are concerned, immediately plans
are deposited representations are made to the architects to suggest incorporation of
the refuse container system, and considerable progress has been achieved in this
direction.
As a result of action taken by the Borough Council, the London County Council
now include in appropriate cases in their consent under the Town and Country
Planning Act, a condition that the storage and collection of refuse shall be to the
satisfaction and requirements of the Borough Council.
In conjunction with the "container" system of collection, the use of dust
chutes is possible in suitable buildings, and where adopted, this system has proved
efficient and worked very satisfactorily.
The fleet of lorries used for the normal collection consists of entirely enclosed
end-loading motor vans, steps being fitted to facilitate entry.