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REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH
INSPECTORS FOR THE YEAR 1956
By G. A. Webber,
Chief Public Health Inspector, Borough of Beckenham.
In August, 1956, the designation "Sanitary Inspector" was
replaced by "Public Health Inspector The former did not accurately
describe the work and duties of the Officers concerned. The
word "sanitary" has come to bear a restricted meaning not associated
with health in its widest sense.
It may well be that this simple alteration of title may have the
effect of increasing recruitment to the seriously depleted ranks of such
Officers. Whether, to those who need directly and consistently to
take advantage of the Inspector's services, he will ever be anything
but the "sanitary man" is a matter of conjecture. There is, perhaps,
more chance of those who indirectly benefit from the work being
brought to a proper understanding of the Officers' duties.
During 1956 the establishment of Inspectors was reduced by one,
Mr. T. P. Jarrett resigning to take an appointment with another
Authority. It was a matter of great regret to me to lose the services
of this capable Officer.
Housing.
The Inspector's function in respect of dwelling houses is to see
that they are kept healthy and habitable. Powers derive from two
somewhat overlapping statutory codes—the Public Health and Housing
Acts. Previous reports have indicated that, since 1946, we have
concentrated on the older properties in the Borough, to bring them
to a reasonable standard of accommodation. One wishes that report
could be made, not only of their structural reconditioning, but also of
their improvement by the installation of bathrooms, indoor sanitation,
modern lighting and constant hot and cold water, but such amenities
are not yet statutorily included in the items comprising standards of
fitness for human habitation.
The Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954, has become in many
respects a dead letter. In my Annual Report for 1954 I stated that
early indications were that owners were not taking advantage of the
Improvement Clauses.
The two years intervening since then have confirmed that early
impression. In Beckenham there have been 62 applications for
Improvement Grants, of which 36 were granted. Nearly all were
from owner/occupiers, whose properties, though coming fully within
the provisions of the Act, are not those at which the Act was primarily
aimed. Experience in Beckenham is comparable with that of most
authorities in the country. From attendance at Conferences, and
from written reports, one gathers that there is somewhat wholesale
criticism of the owners of rented properties for their failure to cooperate
in this matter. Whilst, no doubt, some of the responsibility
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