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Closet Accommodation.
With the exception of a few houses, all the closet accommodation
in the Borough is on the water carriage system.
PUBLIC CLEANSING SERVICE.
The Health Committee is responsible for the collection
and disposal of house and trade refuse, the collection and
sale of salvageable materials and the cleansing and maintenance
of public conveniences.
Refuse Collection and Disposal.
Some difficulty was again experienced at certain periods
of the year in maintaining a weekly collection of refuse,
largely owing to shortage of labour. In these days of full
employment, vacancies for refuse collectors are not easy to
fill, and having regard to the nature of the work, the rate of
pay is not in my opinion sufficient to attract the right type
of recruit.
During the year trials were held with several of the
larger types of refuse collecting vehicles, and as a result
of these the Council decided to purchase two Karrier
Loadmasters and three Shelvoke & Drewry Fore and Aft
tippers to replace old vehicles. These have now been
delivered, and are proving very satisfactory.
All refuse was disposed of by controlled tipping at the
East Wickham Tip. A muledozer is used for consolidating
and levelling the refuse, and covering material is obtained by
excavating soil from the site by means of a Chaseside Shovel.
The decision of the Minister of Housing and Local
Government with regard to the proposal to fill certain chalk
and gravel pits in the North West Kent area with house
refuse has now been received, and consent has been given
to fill the two gravel pits at Stone, near Dartford, in which
the Council are interested. Negotiations are at present in
progress with the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers,
who are the owners, for a long term agreement to fill these
pits, and when completed they will provide the Council with
tipping space for at least twenty years. When filling is
commenced at Stone, the average haul to the disposal point
will be increased from 2½ miles to 7 miles, and it is largely
for this reason that the Council are replacing their existing
freighters with vehicles of a larger carrying capacity.
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