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69
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES
To the Medical Officer of Health.
I beg to submit a report for the year ending 31st December,
1951, of the work of the Sanitary Inspectors and other officers
under my supervision.
Housing has again occupied much of the time of the inspectorate.
Whilst new house building is going on apace within the
Borough, the list of those requiring homes of their own is still
a long one and it is therefore essential that those houses which are
now fit for occupation should be so maintained, as every house
allowed to fall into disrepair and decay, so as to be suitable only
for demolition, adds at least or.e family to such list. The powers
given to Local Authorities under the Housing Act 1936 have
been used judiciously to maintain dwelling houses in a reasonable
state of repair and this, together, with the repairs done following
war damage, has given a new life to many hundreds of houses in
the Borough.
All the unfit and substandard houses in the Leighton Street
and Albion Street area have now been demolished, sites cleared
and new homes built for the displaced tenants. Wilford Road
and Forster Road is now in course of being re-developed and it is
hoped, in the near future, that what is now one of the ugly spots
of the Borough will present a new face of good homes and well
kept open spaces.
More attention has been given to the routine inspection of
factories, shops, offices and work places and the accompanying
tables will show with what result. Improvements have been
effected in many such premises and I have received ready
co-operation from the Government departments responsible for thr
licensing of such works.
The year under review has been an eventful one in the field
of food hygiene. The inspectorate in their personal contacts with
business proprietors and householders have taken every opportunity
to spread knowledge on this subject, and this form of
approach will continue. It was, however, felt that a series of
talks, augmented bv films, given to those engaged in the food
trades, showing the mistakes made by food handlers and the consequences
of such errors and omissions and how, by simple precautions,
such conditions can be prevented from arising, would
stimulate interest and be of value. All proprietors of food
businesses were invited, in writing, to co-operate by arranging for
themselves and members of their staffs to attend such talks at
limes to suit their convenience. The response has been quite