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41
WORK OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTORS
W. Haworth, F.A.P.H.I.
Chief Public Health Inspector.
I have the honour to submit a report on the work of the Public Health
Inspectors for the year 1969.
In the early part of the year a re-appraisal of the duties and establishment
of the Public Health Inspectorate took place and as a result three
District Inspectors were promoted to Senior Inspector one of whom will
concentrate in future on the inspection of food premises and catering
establishments in the centre of the town.
Two Technical Assistants have been appointed to assist with general
district work and it is hoped to fill the two remaining vacancies for
Inspectors, with students who should qualify in 1970. The new arrangement
appears to be working reasonably well.
As always, housing duties continued to provide a lot of work, and
during the year the coming into force of the Housing Act, 1969, involved
the Department, In liaison with the Borough Valuer, in a completely new
sphere of activities.
The introduction of a new and higher standard of conditions to qualify
for an Improvement Grant and/or a Qualification Certificate, (the latter
to enable a rent increase to be obtained), necessitates a very close working
arrangement with the Borough Valuer who administers the Improvement
Grant provisions of the Act. This has now been put into operation and early
experience suggests a satisfactory outcome.
It is hoped that the provisions in the Act, which has the object of
improving the general condition of the housing stock in the country, will
prove successful.
The new Act also amends certain provisions dealing with houses in
multiple occupation, and this sphere of activity in the Department is only
limited by the staff available.
Another chapter in the long history of the department, came to an end
with the closing down of the West Croydon Men's Hostel, Pitlake in
November, consequent upon the road improvement scheme in the Pitlake area.
All the remaining residents were accommodated elsewhere and the
building has since been demolished.
The building was officially opened in July 1894 as the Municipal
Lodging House and it provided accommodation at the time for sixty-six men
and thirty-four women. In 1897 control of the building was taken over by
the Croydon Sanitary Committee and two years later in 1899 rising costs
made it necessary to increase charges from 5d to 6d a night or 3s weekly.
Apparently inflation was something of a problem even in those days.