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Noise.
Forty-three complaints of noise, involving thirty-one alleged nuisances, were received. A large
proportion referred to machinery at factories and workshops, which special problem was mentioned
in the Annual Report for 1954. The remainder concerned a wide variety of supposed causes, including
radio, gramophones, garages, the repair of motor vehicles, building and engineering works, pneumatic
road drills, the loading and handling of milk bottles, a refrigerator, night baking, boiler plant, noisy
tenants and barking dogs. The complaints were not always justified but where, upon investigation,
nuisances were found to exist these were nearly all abated or reduced after informal action by the
sanitary inspectors or the Street Nuisance Inspector. In some cases the Department was unable to
take direct action and the facts giving rise to the complaints were referred to other authorities possessing
the necessary powers to deal with them.
Pigeons.
Section 121 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, empowers the Council, for the purpose of
abating or mitigating nuisance, annoyance or damage, to arrange for the seizure or destruction of
pigeons in excess of such numbers as the Council consider reasonable. Accordingly, an authorised
pigeon catcher, who operates under the direction of the Medical Officer of Health, is retained to seize
and dispose of pigeons congregating at places in the Borough to which he is directed. During 1955,
four complaints of nuisance from these birds were investigated and referred to the pigeon catcher.
Following one of these complaints, in the eastern part of the Borough, the Streets Nuisance Inspector
found that a woman living in this area was feeding pigeons in the street. As a warning had already
been given to this woman, legal proceedings were taken against her for two separate offences against
the Council's byelaw of the 1st June, 1953, dealing with the deposit of litter on the highway. The cases
were found proved and the defendant discharged absolutely on both summonses and ordered to pay
three guineas costs.
Water.
Although water for domestic purposes is obtained from private wells at a small number of blocks
of flats and offices, the chief source of a constant supply throughout the Borough is from the mains
of the Metropolitan Water Board. In no case was it necessary to draw the attention of the Board
to the quality or quantity of the water, but there were three complaints alleging that tap water had
a peculiar taste. Upon investigation the water was found to be wholesome, although the storage
tanks required cleansing. Notices were served upon the owners and the necessary work was done,
although in one case, only after the institution of legal proceedings (see Table 4). In accordance with
the provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, the Board notified six instances where water
had been cut off in occupied premises, five for non-payment of rates and the other for waste of water.
In all the supply was reinstated, in two instances after service of a notice.
Further examinations of the private well waters from the twelve borings still in use (eight in full
operation and four for emergency purposes only), were made by the Council's Bacteriologist, and these
indicated that since the last survey, made in 1947 at the request of the Ministry of Health, there has
been no appreciable change. The reports for 1955 were generally satisfactory, and no pathogenic
contamination was found. It is the practice of the Department to keep the wells supplying water for
drinking purposes under observation and sample their waters every six months.
Twenty-five certificates relating to the provision of a proper and sufficient supply of water in
dwelling-houses were granted under section 96 (2) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, in respect
of newly-erected and rebuilt premises, including six blocks of municipal flats.
Drainage.
During the year, 299 drainage plans were approved. Thirty-five related to new buildings, including
two Borough Council blocks comprising fifty-six flats. At the request of the Medical Officer of Health,
the drains and/or sewer connections of twenty-five premises were examined by the staff of the Borough
Engineer's Department. Defects which called for remedy were discovered at six premises and at the
remaining nineteen the sewer connections were found to be serviceable and fit for continued use. The
drainage inspectors made a total of 3,771 visits.
Legal Proceedings.-—Table 5 below gives details of legal proceedings instituted with regard to drainage
work carried out without notice.